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Figure 2. Labeled beaker with polished rock inside
Cleaning Samples
To remove contamination (oil, skin, and residue from the diamond wheel) wash the polished samples in 70% isopropyl alcohol and DI water. From this point onward, wear gloves when handling samples to avoid reintroduction of contaminants.
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- In a vial, mix 400 mg lithium metaborate flux (pre-weighed onshore) either ignited or non-ignited powdered sample, check with the science party to determine which sample type should be used. Typically use unignited powder as that is how our standard beads are prepared and what correlate to the certified values. This step is typically completed by the chemistry technicians.
- Fuse both sample powder and flux into a glass bead (Figure 28). Dissolve the bead in nitric acid. This solution will be further diluted and analyzed by the ICP.
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