Samples arriving to IBERSIMS must be mineral concentrates of 95% (minimum) purity. The concentrates must have been thoroughly cleaned with reagent-grade acetone in order to guaranty good adhesion to the epoxy resin. Zircon grains coated with heavy-liquid impurities, or cleaned with sanitary-grade alcohol risk to be lost during polishing

Each sample should ideally consists of about 100 mineral grains, depending on the aim of the analyses. The rule of thumb is to have enough grains of each sample as to select the best spots for analysis

To save standards and time, we put between 5 and 10 samples per mount. To ensure uniform polishing deep, samples with a very different grain size should not be grouped in the same mount

Mounts are returned to the users once analyzed

Samples

Once polished, mounts are fully documented at IBERSIMS

This is made in four steps: (1) transmitted light optical imaging (2) reflecting light optical imaging (3) SEM cathodoluminescence imaging (4) low magnification SE-SEM imaging to assembly a navigation map (see right)

These images are sent to the user before the analytical session, so that it can decide the spots to be analyzed and the navigation strategy. We can help with this, if required. The user must mark the spots to be analyzed and return the marked images to us

During the analyses, the user will name each spot on the SHRIMP main computer according to the names given previously. This would be the SHRIMP filename of the spot analysis. That name should be also recorded on the provided images. This can be done either on printouts, the user personal computer, or the SHRIMP data computer.

Sample documentation before analysis