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Now close the lid and turn the emergency stop switch to 'On'. This does not start the Shatterbox shatterbox but does enable operation. If an emergency shutdown is needed, flip this switch to 'Off' and all shaking will stop even though the timer will continue to count down.
Set the grinding time. The LCD screen displays the current operating time (Figure 27A). Adjust the time by pressing on the 'Minute' (Figure 27B) and 'Second' (Figure 27C) buttons. The timer maximum is 9:59.

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Disassemble the vessel carefully wearing 'Powderless Nitrile' gloves. Clean off any powder on the lid or puck with clean gloves or a kim wipeKim Wipe. Carefully remove the puck from the vessel. Pour the sample onto a clean weighing paper. If any powder remains, use a clean plastic spatula, brush, or your finger to dislodge it.
Note: Never use metal to dislodge sample material, as any grooves or scratches in the vessels will increase the risk of contamination.

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1. Wearing nitrile gloves, wash the individual pieces of the grinding vessels with DI water and a small piece of a scouring pad (no soap).
2. After each washed piece piece immediately spray it with isopropyl alcohol and wipe it down with a Kim Wipe. Do not use the ships ship's compressed air line to dry pieces as the air is too dirty.
3. Lay the pieces on, and cover vessels with Kim Wipes.

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1. Take a scoop of quartz sand and put it in your vessel and run it as you would a sample for several minutes.
2. Remove the vessel and empty out the sand. Scrub the pieces with DI water and a scouring pad. Then spray with isopropyl alcohol and wipe down with Kim Wipe.
If your vessel is particularly dirty run a combination of quartz sand, a little hot water and detergent (Borax). This can be run for several minutes. A thick paste will form and you clean it with DI water and isopropyl as in the other cases.

Determining LOI

Loss on IgntionIgnition, or 'LOI', compares a mass measurement taken before and after a sample is subjected to extreme heat. Petrologists use LOI as an indication of degree of alteration. Low LOI values suggest relatively fresh, unaltered basalt; whereas high LOI numbers suggest alteration (clay, alteration minerals, etc.).
LOI is determined by weighing a small amount of the sample (~5 g) before and after ignition. Samples typically lose weight as water is driven off, though an iron-rich, water-poor sample may gain weight.

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