The mineral separation laboratory in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at Columbus State University focuses on heavy mineral separation, with specialized processes effective in recovering zircon from low yield rocks (e.g., basalt, diabase, greenstone, amphibolite).
Our mineral separation laboratory is equipped with the following.
Rock saws, jaw crusher, pulverizer, and sieves
Vibratory feeder with ultra slow feed rate capabilities
Gemini-style water shake table
Frantz Isodynamic Magnetic Separator
Heavy liquids (methylene iodide)
SEM-EDS for target mineral identification
Recovery of zircon from mafic rocks and their metamorphic equivalents can be especially challenging for many reasons. Silica saturated to undersaturated mafic melts are commonly zirconium undersaturated, and as such are less likely to produce a distinct zircon mineral phase in large numbers. Second, zircons in mafic and meta-mafic rocks may be small and/or anhedral, and as such are less likely to be recovered and/or identified as zircon in heavy mineral separates.
We utilize a heavy mineral separation technique developed in our laboratory that has consistently yielded zircon from basalts and metabasalts from the Cordillera and Appalachians of North America after attempts using traditional separation processes have failed to produce any zircon. By comparing heavy mineral separation results from samples processed in our lab against the results of those same samples processed in other laboratories (both public and private), we find our separation technique is generally able to recover an order of magnitude or more zircon from the same samples.
Laboratory mineral separation services include cutting, crushing, pulverizing (if necessary), and sieving of samples, followed by shake table and magnetic separation. All heavy mineral separates are processed using methylene iodide (MEI). Zircon is identified and hand picked from mineral separates using short wavelength UV and grain morphology. Picked and mounted grains are confirmed via SEM-EDS. All mineral fractions are reserved throughout the process and can be element mapped as needed.
Mineral separation services range from $300 to $600 or more depending on the material submitted, nature of the submitted rock (e.g., cut, crushed), and anticipated complexity of processing. Sample processing fees fund student technicians and consumable materials.
For more information, pricing, or to arrange for lab services, contact Dr. Clint Barineau via email (barineau_clinton@columbusstate.edu) or phone (706-507-8092).
References
Holm-Denoma, C.S., Barineau, C.I., Tull, J.F., Smith, V.J., and Pianowski, L.S., 2024, Squeezing Blood (or Zircon) from a Stone: A Silurian U-Pb Age for Mafic Metavolcanic Rocks Constrains Timing of Suprasubduction Zone Tectonics, Successor Basin Formation, and Metamorphism in the Southern Appalachian Blue Ridge: Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 55, doi:10.1130/abs/2024SE-398544.
O’Keeffe, B., Barineau, C.I., Barron, A., and Hagadorn, J., 2024, Looking for Grains in All the Wrong Places: Improving Zircon Separation Techniques in Basalts and their Metamorphic Equivalents: Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 56, doi:10.1130/abs/2024SE-398598.
O’Keeffe, B., and Barineau, C.I., 2023, Age and Tectonic Origin of the Mitchell Dam Amphibolite, Ashland Supergroup, Eastern Blue Ridge, Southern Appalachians (USA): Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 55, doi:10.1130/abs/2023SE-385920.
Fisher, S., Barineau, C.I., Holm-Denoma, C.S., and Smith, V.J., 2023, Tectonic Significance of the Western Blue Ridge Marble Hill Hornblende Schist, Southern Appalachians (USA): Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 55, doi:10.1130/abs/2023SE-386153.
O’Keeffe, B., Barineau, C.I., and Fisher, S., 2022, Isolating Zircon from Mafic Rocks: Development of a Programmable, Open-Source Granular Feeder for Isolating Heavy Minerals in Silica Poor Rocks: Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 54, doi:10.1130/abs/2022AM-382905.
Fisher, S., Coffee, M., and Barineau, C.I., 2022, An Attempt to Resolve the Age of the Sub-Mineral Bluff Unconformity: Extracting Zircon from the Marble Hill Hornblende Schist: Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 54, doi:10.1130/abs/2022NC-375767.
Fisher, S., Barineau, C.I., Smith, V.J., O’Keeffe, B., and Tull, J.F., 2022, A Silurian Age for the Marble Hill Hornblende Schist: Implications for Igneous Activity and Metamorphism in the Southern Appalachians: Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs, v. 54, doi:10.1130/abs/2022AM-383256.