The "Distillery" Clean Laboratories
In 2012, the “Distillery” laboratory, consisting of Class 100 cleanrooms, was commissioned, thanks to support from the University and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
In 2016, the laboratory moved to the “Distillery 2.0” (see photos below). This new laboratory was designed for ultra-trace isotope geochemistry. The air quality, monitored at all times, qualifies the lab space as a Class 10 cleanroom.
In these laboratories, geological, archaeological and biological samples are prepared for isotopic analysis or elemental concentration determination. Sample preparation protocols include:
- Preparation for chemical analysis of geological and biological samples: silicates (rocks, soils, sediments), carbonates (speleothems, corals,..), phosphates (teeth, bones), waters, plants, animal tissues and fluids
- Ion exchange chromatography for isotopic analysis: Li, B, Mg, Ca, Cu, Zn, Sr, Nd, U and Th (including U-Th dating of carbonates and phosphates)
During the first 10 years, over 8,000 samples have been prepared for isotopic analyses, and the laboratories support a large number of academic staff and research students (at UoW and other Australian universities or overseas).
