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A self-made tube cracker coupled to an EA-IRMS-AGE3 system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 September 2024

Lior Regev Open the ORCID record for Lior Regev [Opens in a new window] ,
Eugenia Mintz ,
Lilia Goffer  and
Elisabetta Boaretto Open the ORCID record for Elisabetta Boaretto [Opens in a new window]
Lior Regev
Affiliation:
D-REAMS Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scientific Archaeology Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
Eugenia Mintz
Affiliation:
D-REAMS Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scientific Archaeology Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
Lilia Goffer
Affiliation:
Department of Physics Core Facilities, Faculty of Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
Elisabetta Boaretto*
Affiliation:
D-REAMS Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scientific Archaeology Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
*
Corresponding author: Elisabetta Boaretto; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The automatic graphitization system (AGE3) by IonPlus is very popular among radiocarbon dating laboratories. Usually, solid samples are burnt in an elemental analyzer (EA), and the gaseous CO2 is transferred for graphitization. Our system is coupled also with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS), which measures the δ13C and δ15N of that gas. Some less routine pretreatment protocols require the production of gaseous samples and prevent the possibility of using the EA-AGE3 system, as the EA is used for solid samples only. In order to use that system, including the measurements of stable isotopes, we developed a glass tube cracker that connects to the EA. The device is routinely used in our laboratory and is mainly built from Swaglok catalog parts. We show that the background (blank) levels of a marble standard are indistinguishable between using the cracker and burning solid marble using the EA. We further demonstrate that the δ13C values are consistent and that the extraction efficiency when using the device is above 93%. Full descriptions, drawings, and working protocol are supplied.

Keywords

crackergraphitizationradiocarbon AMS datingstable isotopes
Type
Technical Note
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 66 , Issue 3 , June 2024 , pp. 597 - 603
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of University of Arizona

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References

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