Department of Physical Geography

Item : Environmental Monitoring Unit (EMU)
Used for : Accommodation and basic lab work on research trips

photo: www.ultimatecampers.com.au

Item : Melvelle Model 123AN Super Rig, mounted on tandem-axle box trailer.
Used for : Site investigation using push tube coring with hydraulic hammer and NMLC holding barrel, augering and W-C and diamond coring. The drill string can also be readily used as a hand coring system.

photos: see www.melvelle.com.au

Item : Trailer mounted backhoe (Navihoe)
Used for : Digging trenches to 2.5 m depth

Item : Fritsch "Pulverisette 19" cutting mill with tungsten carbide blades and cyclonic extraction/filtration unit.
Used for : Shredding fibrous/ductile materials (printed cicrcuit boards, plastics, organics). The extraction unit is filtered at 0.3 µm allowing safe comminution of organic samples.

Photo: www.fritsch.de

Item : Fritsch "Pulverisette 6" planetary ball mill with silicon nitride (x 2) and zirconium oxide (x 1) bowls.
Used for : Pulverising large soil samples for analysis as powders or preparation for dissolution.

Photo: www.fritsch.de

Item : Retsch MM-301 Mixer Mill with 4 tungsten carbide vials.
Used for : Pulverising small soil samples for analysis as powders or preparation for dissolution.

Item : Fritsch "Pulverisette 0" vibratory micro mill with tungsten carbide mortar and ball
Used for : Pulverising small samples for analysis as powders or preparation for dissolution.

Photo: www.fritsch.de

Item : Anton-Paar Multiwave 3000 microwave
Used for : Microwave-assisted decomposition of materials in teflon pressure vessels (note rotors and acid scrubbers below microwave)

Item : Hach Digesdahl (with full Azlon shield)
Used for : Decomposition of organic samples by a sulphuric-peroxide mixture

Item : Herzog 20 tonne Press
Used for : Making pressed powder pellets for XRF analysis

Item : Simplimet 3000 thermal press with 30 mm & 40 mm moulds.
Used for : Pressing plastics into XRF pellets.

Photo: www.buehler.com/productinfo/ mounting_presses/pdfs/Simpl_ 3000 .pdf

Item : Nalgene desiccator (4 tray)
Used for : Keeping XRF samples & standards dry

Item : PANalytical MiniPal4 X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer
Used for : Elemental analysis of solids and liquids from Ca-U.

Item : MMA X-Ray Diffractometer
Used for : Qualitative and quantitative determination of minerals in loose powders and thin adhesive films.

photo: www.gbc-sci.com.au

Item : Hach DR-4000 laboratory spectrophotometer
Used for : Analysis of ions in water

Item : Hach DR-2500 transportable spectrophotometer
Used for : Analysis of ions in water

photo: www.hach.com

Item : Metrohm 761 Compact ion chromatograph
Used for : Measurement of ions in water (not to be used for trivalent ions or transition metals)

Item : Autosampler
Used for : Sample delivery to ion chromatograph

Item : Metrohm 757 VA Computrace
Used for : Quantification and speciation of transition metals in water

Item : Volumetric soil moisture probe
Used for : In-situ measurement of soil moisture

Item : Darcy apparatus
Used for : Ex-situ measurement of hydraulic conductivity of porous materials

Item : In situ level loggers (x 2)
Used for : recording Pressure (water level) and temperature in water to 15 m depth. The loggers are vented via the cable so no correction is required for atmospheric pressure.

Photo: www.enviroequip.com

Item : YSI 600 XLM multi parameter sonde
Used for : logging water quality data in marine and freshwater (depth, conductivity, pH, ORP). The sonde is non-vented and can be used to 50 m depth. With 4 AA batteries, it can log data for 1 month if acquired every 15 minutes.

Item : Millipore Elix Type II water system
Used for : Provision of deionised water

Item : Millipore Synergy Type I water system
Used for : Provision of ultrapure, Type I, 16 mOhm water

Item : Denver pH/ISE meter
Used for : Measuring pH, ORP, Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Cl - ions in water

Item : Pipettes (0.1-10 mL, 500 µL fixed, 10-200 µL, 1-20 µL)
Used for : dispensing a range of liquids

Item : Ratek Orbital Platform mixer
Used for : Mixing aqueous samples

Item : Sanyo MIR-253 Freeze-thaw incubator.
250 L capacity, 5 shelf. Locakble, with instrument port in the side.
Used for : Cycling materials from -10 C to +20 C. Programmable to 99 cycles.