Experimental Geoscience Facility

Our Experimental Geoscience Facility is a suite of laboratories equipped to support experimental investigations of physical, chemical and coupled Earth processes.

Our laboratories serve as a core facility for a range of experimental investigations of chemical and physical processes from ambient temperature and pressure to that of deep Earth environments.  We provide expertise in experimental design and the development and operation of novel experimental equipment.

The facility supports in-house research and provide preparation and experimental laboratories to support experimental geoscience research programs carried out by members of the geoscience community.

Contact and location

Contact

Dr Ian Butler ian.butler@ed.ac.uk+44 (0) 131 650 5885Senior Research Fellow in Experimental Geosciences

View Dr Butler's full research profile

Location

Address: Grant Institute, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, James Hutton Road, EDINBURGH EH9 3FE

Please note that parking on campus is strictly by permit only, and parking spaces are subject to availability. Commercial and external users should contact our staff about parking arrangements.

Access and costs

Access
  • Experimental programs ranging from one-off pilot experiments and short visits through to long-term collaborative research programs, are supported. 
  • Access to the facility is available for users running funded projects established independently of collaboration with the Edinburgh facility, subject to agreement on experimental costs.
  • Our facility welcomes applications to act as a host for UK and European funded Research Fellows.
  • Access to our facility may vary depending on the laboratory and equipment used. In some cases, access may be offered on a collaborative research basis, as a grant-supported pathway or through discussion with our facility staff.
Costs
  • Access to the laboratories is provided on a 'pay-as-you-go' basis, with full experimental costs subject to the diverse nature and duration of the experimentation proposed. 
  • Prospective users are required to contact the facility to identify overall experimental costs at an early stage of project development. 
Experimental X-ray Microtomography
  • The Experimental X-ray Microtomography instrument is operated as a Small Research Facility (SRF). SRF's are available for hire or on a consultancy basis. These charges are recognised by grant funders and can therefore form part of a grant submission.

For the wider University and all external users:

Please contact the facility to discuss availability, as well as analytical requirements and charging information.  

For staff and students in the School of GeoSciences:

Pricing and access to the facility must be completed through a job request form, which can be found on the Experimental X-ray Microtomography facility (EXP) intranet page.

Experimental facilities and equipment

Our laboratories are dedicated to experimental investigations of chemical and physical processes from ambient temperature and pressure through to deep Earth environments. A full suite of preparation laboratories for experimental work is also available.

You can find more information on our laboratories and equipment under each of the drop-down menus below:

The Experimental Aqueous Geochemistry Laboratory is equipped to investigate chemical processes at ambient pressure and temperature. In particular, experiments that require the absence of oxygen and the presence of hydrogen sulphide.

Applications that have used the laboratory have included:

  • investigations of Fe and Cu isotope fractionation during sulphide mineral reactions
  • investigations of microbial processes in subsurface environments
  • reactions of magnetic minerals in bentonite matrices to develop monitoring technologies for geological radwaste disposal.

Equipment

Laboratory equipment includes:

  • Saffron Alpha anoxic chamber (N2 atmosphere)
  • Anaerobic manifolds
  • Palm-Sens EmStat-Blue electrochemical analyser
  • Potentiometric analysers and sensors
  • LTE Mini-Lyotrap freeze drier
  • Camspec UV-vis spectrophotometer
  • Kern analytical balance
  • Reaction ovens and incubators

Access to this laboratory is offered on a collaborative research basis.


Experimental Aqueous Geochemistry facility

Our X-ray Microtomography CT instrument was designed and built in-house to enable non-destructive 3D analysis of geological materials. It is also used for experimental applications that require time-resolved imaging of processes from experiments carried out on-line and off-line.

In addition to the instrument itself, our laboratory has developed, and continues to develop X-ray transparent experimental environments.  This enables experimental studies of at elevated pressure and temperature such as multiphase fluid flow in porous media, deformation and pressure solution. These environments are designed to be used both in-house and at synchrotron beamlines.

Experimental x-ray microtomography sample images

Equipment

The  X-ray Microtomography CT instrument consists of:

  • a dual (transmission/reflection) head 10-160kV X-ray source
  •  a rotary air-bearing table and sample manipulator
  • dual flat panel X-ray cameras (1MP Perkin Elmer XRD0822 or 4MP Rad-Icon Shad-o-cam). 

Once acquired, tomographic slice reconstruction is performed using Octopus™ software. Visualisation and analysis of 3D and 4D data is performed using dedicated workstations running Avizo™ and Dragonfly 3D software.

Samples from 1mm diameter to ~15cm diameter and up to 4kg can be accommodated. Typically, the best geometric image resolution is 1/1000 to 1/2000 of the sample diameter for the Perkin Elmer and Rad-Icon cameras, respectively. Standard data acquisition requires 20 mins to 3 hours per scan.

Experimental cells available for 4D X-ray microtomography include fluid flow cells with highly X-ray transparent aluminium, carbon fibre loaded PEEK, and carbon fibre pressure vessels that can be used to study multiphase fluid transport at ambient temperatures and pressures up to 30 MPa using samples from 5 mm diameter to 10 mm diameter. Our flow-cells can be used on both laboratory and synchrotron sources. Two cells (Stór Mjolnir and Gungnir) can be used to investigate the behaviour of rock samples up to 18 mm diameter under triaxial loading. Both cells are capable of being used to combine X-ray microtomography and acoustic monitoring, including acoustic emission rate feedback control of deformation rates. Stór Mjolnir and Gungnir can achieve confining pressures of up to 50 MPa and axial stresses of up to 500 MPa and are suitable for use at synchrotron X-ray sources. Two further cells (Mjolnir and Heitt Mjolnir) can be used for investigations of fluid rock reactions at elevated temperatures of up to 300 °C, confining pressures of up to 50 MPa and axial stresses of up to 600 MPa. Mjolnir and Heitt Mjolnir were developed for use at synchrotron x-ray sources. Access to these cells, developed within the facility, is through agreed collaboration.

Small Research Facility

The Experimental X-ray Microtomography Laboratory is operated as a Small Research Facility (SRF).  A Small Research Facility (SRF) is a facility or service provided by the School and used for research and teaching. SRF's are also available for use by the wider community such as external academic or commercial use.  Our SRF's are available for hire or on a consultancy basis.  These charges are recognised by grant funders and can therefore form part of a grant submission.

  • To access this laboratory including information on costs, please contact us to discuss your needs.
  • Staff and students within the School of GeoSciences and other schools must also complete a technical request form for this facility.

Our laboratories have two piston cylinder presses.

The equipment has been built and maintained in-house and capable of generating up to 4GPa and 1600°C in a variety of solid media sample assemblies. Both 12.5mm and 19mm cells are available. 

The laboratories are supported by a preparation laboratory which includes a PUK U4 -TIG impulse micro welder, analytical balances and gel preparation facilities. Further pre-preparation of experimental materials is achieved by means of the 1atm gas mixing furnaces.

To access this laboratory including information on costs, please contact us to discuss your needs.


experimental geoscience facility-piston cylinder

The Rock Physics Laboratory is dedicated to studies of rock mechanics, including coupled physical and chemical processes and damage mechanics.  It is linked closely with our Experimental X-ray Microtomography Laboratory.

This laboratory was rejuvenated in 2016 with an updated triaxial deformation rig which was built in-house.  It also includes acoustic emission equipment.  Applied Seismology Richter data acquisition is combined with trigger and hit count systems and pulser receivers. 

The Rock Physics Laboratory is closely linked with our experimental capability in X-ray microtomography, and the experimental geoscience facility has the capability to integrate convention laboratory experimental studies using conventional petrophysical samples, with detailed, high resolution and highly time resolved studies of rock deformation and failure with in-situ visualisation of processes at elevated temperature and pressure. 

The Rock Physics laboratory is operated as a grant-supported laboratory with access via the collaborative research pathway, with experimental costs covered as appropriate.

experimental geoscience facility-rock physics lab image

Our 1 atm furnaces and muffle furnaces are used for sample preparation for analysis and high pressure and temperature (P&T) experiments and for phase equilibria studies at controlled oxygen fugacity.

Equipment

Laboratory equipment includes:

  • A Deltech furnace (50mm ID worktube) for experiments up to 1700°C equipped with an automatic drop-quench.
  • Two Lenton furnaces (50mm ID worktubes) capable of 1400 and 1800°C
  • A precision wound Pt element furnace (1200°C, 25mm ID worktube) equipped with an automatic drop-quench.

Controlled oxygen fugacity is achieved by means of CO2/H2 gas mixtures calibrated versus a zirconia oxygen sensor. In addition, a Nabertherm muffle furnace (1750°C) is available for sample preparation. The laboratory is also supported by gel-making facilities.

To access this laboratory including information on costs, please contact us to discuss your needs.


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