High Pressure Laboratory
Equipment
Tube Furnaces
Figure 1: The “Vesuvius” gas-mixing vertical tube furnace, which allows for a controlled atmosphere via the introduction of gases (e.g., CO and CO2) into the alumina tube during heating. A shows the entire furnace assembly; B is a close-up of the top of the furnace showing the “hot-spot” temperature, and the voltmeter which measures the emf from a Y-doped zirconia sensor used to calculate oxygen fugacity (fO2).
Figure 2: The “Jim” gas-mixing vertical tube furnace.
Piston Cylinders
Figure 1: One of the end-loaded piston cylinders, which is capable of achieving pressures up to 4 GPa ( ≈ 120 km depth) and up to 2300oC. A shows the entire apparatus without the high pressure assembly; B is a complete experimental assembly with attached power leads and cooling water; and C shows a close up of the bridge that supports the pressure vessel.
Figure 2: The second end-loaded piston cylinder (so-called Steve press, kindly donated by Dean Presnall).
Other Furnaces
Figure 1: The centrifuge furnace, that can achieve in excess of 400 g while simultaneously heating a sample to up to 1200oC. This furnace is used to promote separation of immiscible phases, or crystals and melt, so as to measure partitioning on clean separates.
Figure 2: The Deltech bottom-loading furnace, which is capable of achieving 1500°C.