Elizabeth Baedke Johnson
James Madison University
Department of Geology and Environmental Science

Laboratory Facilities at JMU

FTIR Spectrometer

The Thermo Nicolet Magna FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectrometer with NicPlan microscope attachment was constructed from surplused items in Spring 2011 with funding from the Jeffress Foundation.
Many thanks to Harry Hu (Center for Materials Science) and Dan Havey (JMU Chemistry) for help with assembly.

The microscope is equipped with an MCT-A detector and has been custom fit with a wire grid on KBr infrared polarizer for quantitative analysis of water in nominally anhydrous minerals using transmitted infrared light. The microscope has an ATR attachment and can be used in reflection mode.

If you are interested in using the FTIR spectrometer for research, please contact Dr. Johnson by e-mail. There is no charge for using the instrument.

High-temperature programmable tube furnace

Nikon petrographic microscope with digital camera

Polishing and sawing equipment for very small samples
Sample preparation equipment includes a polishing table and jigs, a slow-speed diamond saw, and a digital micrometer for measuring thicknesses of polished sections.

Pellet press and grinder
We have a wig-L-bug grinder and pellet press for creating KBr pellets for infrared analysis of powders.