Summary
Totals
Bruker D4 Endeavor
All of the XRD samples this expedition where run on the Bruker D4 including clays and glycolated samples.
The parameters set for measurement where as follows:
- Bulk (~2hr scan)
- random mount
- 4°-70°
- Step: 0.02°
- Scanning speed: 2s/step
- Clay (~1hr scan)
- oriented mount
- 4°-40°
- Step: 0.02°
- Scanning speed: 2s/step
Issues
The Bruker had some flow issues towards the end of the dry dock that continued during this expedition. The flow was ~4.45L/min in the beginning of this expedition which is enough flow to keep the x-rays running on the machine. After running some samples regularly the flow started to decrease until it was to low for the x-rays to be on and the security circuit turned off the x-rays because of low water flow.
Haskris
The Haskris had some water flow issues that where causing the x-rays to turn off in the Bruker 4 Endeavor. In order to fix these issues we first flushed out the heat exchanger in the catwalk and reinstalled it. The heat exchanger was not that dirty because it had already been replaced during the dry dock. At this time we also cleaned out the filter in the water tank. We tightened the pressure valve to see if that would increase the flow, and it did. The flow was increased between 4 - 5 L/min and the x-rays where able to turn back on and I continued measuring samples. The water flow issues came back after a week, and we cleaned out the filter gain as well as tightening and untightening the pressure valve to see if that could reset the flow of water. This worked again to increase the flow of water into the Bruker. However, the ET said that if it happened again we would have to replace the pump.
1/18/2024
The Bruker was having issues with the waterflow again, so we tried to increase and decrease the pressure using the valve, but that didn't fix the issue this time the water flow would not go past 3.4 /min. We decided to replace the Haskris pump and we changed out the water in the tank as well as the filter. After turning on the Haskris again the water flow went up to 4.5 L/min and it has stayed around there with no further water issues.
EVA Software
The ICDD license was not activated in the EVA software, so at the beginning of the expedition the license was activated. The scientist also wanted to use topaz for analyzing some of the scans, so we installed the mineral database on the core description computer in the core lab.
XRD for clay separation procedure X401
- Add sample in 50 ml centrifuge tube
- Add 45ml of water, I added DI water, but it can be regular water
- Sonify samples until the samples are all desegregated
- If samples flocculate, then add sodium hexametaphosphate and mix again
- leave for 8 hrs., the time the samples are left was calculated by measuring the height of the sample using Stokes's Law and inputting it into a spreadsheet provided by the scientist
- Empty the suspended liquid in another centrifuge
- Centrifuge at 3000rpm for 60 minutes, then empty most of the liquid
- Mount clay, measure, then glycolated, then measure.
Beadmaker
Beadmaker pump
In the process of finding the exhaust for petrol in the thin section lab we realized that the pump for the beadmaker was installed reversed, so it wasn't doing anything (Figure 1). The pump was then disconnected electronically and bypassed. Now the beadmaker is connected to the "T" that is always on and sucking air out (Figure 3). The exhaust power in thin section overhead cable needs to stay disconnected because the pump is not connected (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Diagrams explain how the pump was connected. Red is how it was connected, and blue is how it is now connected.
Figure 2. Exhaust power in thin section overhead cable.
Figure 3. T in which the beadmaker pump is now connected in the thin section lab.