Organic Geochemistry Laboratory
In the organic-geochemical laboratory the investigation of the quality, quantity and maturity of organic matter is one of the main tasks. The used methods are Rock-Eval pyrolysis (quality and maturity of organic matter), gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (quality and quantity of organic matter). The latter method allows us to analyse specific biomolocules (biomarker). By these molecules we obtain detailed information about the origin of the organic matter (terrigenous and marine biomarker) as well as (paleo-) temperature, salinity, and productivity of the surface water.
The equipment for the above mentioned analyses are described in detail (see below).
Technical Details
- Rock-Eval pyrolysis analyser for determination of quality, maturity and source-rock potential of organic matter.
- 2 Gaschromatographs (HP 5890, HP 6890), equipped with autosamplers, cold injection systems (Gerstel KAS 3, KAS 4) and flame-ionization detectors (FID).
- 1 GC/MS-System, consisting of a HP 5890 GC, a HP 5972 MSD, and an autosampler.
- 1 Irm-GC/MS consisting of a HP 6890 GC coupled via a Finnigan GCC-II-interface to a Finnigan DeltaplusXL mass spectrometer (Fig. 1). The GCC-II-combustion interface is equipped with a catalytic oxidation line for online-conversion of organic compounds to CO2 (carbon isotopes) and an online pyrolysis line for the quantitative conversion of organic H to H2 (hydrogen isotopes). The DeltaplusXL mass spectrometer has an extended Faraday-cup configuration allowing either the simultaneous measurement of CO2-Isotopes (3 dedicated cups) or H and D (2 additional cups).
- 1 Dionex accelerated solvent extractor (ASE 200), for automated and unattended extraction of up to 24 samples per extraction sequence.
- 1 LECO GC/TOF-MS-system (Fig. 2), comprising an Agilent 6890N GC, LECO Pegasus III TOFMS, GERSTEL cold-injection system (KAS 4 plus), GERSTEL Multipurpose sampler MPS 2 and a GERSTEL automated liner exchange (ALEX) facility. The time-of-flight (TOF) technology of the LECO-MS can acquire up to 500 full mass-spectra/sec. These high data rates, combined with the worldwide unique and patented spectral deconvolution algorithms of the LECO-system, for example, allow quantitative alkenone-identification even under coelution of interfering compounds (a difference of one mass-spectra = 1/500sec. shift in gas-chromatographic retention time is sufficient), for which often an additional time-consuming analytical step (e.g. overnight-saponification) is required.