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Technical note

A Better Way to Separate Apatite from Zircon Using Constriction Tubes

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Advances in Fission-Track Geochronology

Part of the book series: Solid Earth Sciences Library ((SESL,volume 10))

Abstract

Most fission track dating laboratories currently separate apatite (density ≈3.1–3.2 g/cm3) from zircon (≈4.5 g/cm3) in separatory funnels using the heavy liquid methylene iodide (MEI, density 3.32 g/cm3). We have found it better to undertake these separations using MEI in glass constriction tubes nested inside 15 ml glass test tubes. This procedure is considerably more efficient than the separatory funnel method provided sample sizes are smaller than about 250 mg.

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Dumitru, T.A., Stockli, D.F. (1998). Technical note. In: van den Haute, P., de Corte, F. (eds) Advances in Fission-Track Geochronology. Solid Earth Sciences Library, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9133-1_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9133-1_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4977-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9133-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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