Apparatus in the Magma Factory
| SEDI-1000 Multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus |
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SEDI-1000 is a 1000-ton cubic press, with a 6-8 multi anvil type high pressure system, capable of generating pressures up to 27
GPa and temperatures of 2500 C. As this apparatus can generate high pressures and temperatures quite stably for long periods, it
has been used for phase equilibrium experiments at mantle transition zone and uppermost lower mantle conditions.
| SPI-1000 Multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus |
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SPI-1000 is a 1000-ton uniaxial split phere press, with a 6-8 multi anvil type high pressure system, which is capable of generating
pressures up to 20 GPa and temperatures of 2500 C. This apparatus can achieve uniform heating for large volume samples, with a tubular LaCrO3 heater. It is effective for precise determination of melting phase relations.
| ET-type piston cylinder apparatus |
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The piston cylinder apparatus can achieve high pressures by transmission of force from a large hydraulic ram to a
smaller piston. Samples are contained in cylindrical volume and compressed by a piston, then high pressure can be achieved.
Pressure may be estimated directly from (pressure) = (force) / (area), although friction effects must also be considered.
This ET-type piston cylinder was designed by Eiichi Takahashi and his co-workers with the concept of "safe, light, easy
and cheap". It is non-end-loaded type and we can attain pressures of 3.0 GPa (usually up to 2.0GPa) and temperature of
1600 C. Using this apparatus, we can simulate the conditions of the crust and the uppermost mantle.
| Boyd-England type piston cylinder apparatus |
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The Boyd-England type piston cylinder is an end-loaded type, with which we can attain pressures of 3.5GPa and temperature of near
2000 C. Using this apparatus, we can simulate the condition of the upper mantle.
| Kennedy type piston cylinder apparatus |
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SMC-2000 Internally-heated gas pressure vessel
(drop-quenching type) |
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The SMC-2000, an internally heated gas pressure vessel, provides the capability to investigate hydrous magmatic processes through the depth range of the magma chamber up to 2kbar. It is equipped with a vertical quenching system. An Au capsule when T is less than 1000 C or Ag-Pd or Au-Pd capsule when T is larger than 1000 C is normally used as sample container. Oxygen fugacities of the samples can be buffered using a double capsule technique.
SMC-5000 Internally-heated gas pressure vessel
(drop-quenching type) |
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The SMC-5000 is an internally-heated gas pressure apparatus, capable of attaining pressures of 5 kbar and temperatures of 1600 C (with Mo
heater). This is equipped with vertical quenching system. By this apparatus, we can simulate the condition of the crust
and the uppermost mantle.
One atmosphere gas mixing furnaces
(drop-quenching type) |
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There are two siliconit (SiC) furnaces, with Al2O3 muffle tubes. Each has a useable temperature range of 600 to 1500 C. Both furnaces are equipped with gas mixing capabilities and high-stability digital temperature controllers. One furnace is also equipped with programmed cooling and heating cycles and a vertical quenching system. The gas mixing ratios have been calibrated periodically against Fe-FeO and Ni-NiO equilibria. These furnaces are used to synthesize starting materials, for use in high-pressure experiments, as well as in the investigation of phase equilibria at 1bar. The compositional and oxygen fugacity dependences of element partitioning in anhydrous conditions may also be determined.
| JEOL JXA-8800 Electron microprobe analyser |
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All natural samples and run products from experiments are analysed with the electron microprobe, JEOL JXA-8800. This is the most heavily used apparatus in the Magma Factory throughout the year. This EMP has five WD-spectrometers and computer-controlled sample stage. Synthetic fayalite, wollastonite, and jadite, and oxides have been used as standard samples. San Carlos Kaersutites is used as a running standard of measurement. Analytical data can be downloaded from the EMP computer to respective computers using the Ethernet.
| RIGAKU RINT-2000 Micro X-ray diffractometer |
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The RINT-2000 consists of a conventional powder X-ray diffractometer and a micro-focused X-ray diffractometer (MXD) with narrowed
X-ray. The X-ray generator, with Cr rotating anode, is shared by the two diffractometers. The MXD enables measurement of small volume samples. Both
diffractometers are used for phase identification and lattice parameter measurement.
| Melts program on the PC/AT computers |
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There are two PC/AT computers on which Linux and the Melts program are installed. One is a Dell Dimension 4100, with Red Hat Linux 7.0, and the other is a Gateway 2000 G6, with Turbo Linux 1.0. We can estimate appropriate compositions and melting points at 1 bar for synthesis of starting materials, for use in high-pressure experiments, by running virtual experiments with Melts. Unfortunately, the Melts program cannot successfully predict phase equilibria under ultrahigh-pressure (P>3GPa) and hydrous conditions. We consider that more experiments (e.g. ultrahigh-pressure experiments under controlled oxygen fugacities and hydrous condition, Hornblende-melt equilibria and hydrous phase equilibria of highly alkaline rocks) must be performed and the data included in future updates of the Melts program.