Labs and Equipment

FEI Quanta 650 FEG SEM
Operable in high and low vacuum as well as ESEM modes
Incorporates a Bruker QUANTAX 200 detector
Able to achieve 1-3 nm resolution.
Retractable DBS detector and beam deceleration allow analysis of conductive samples
Software allows overlaying data sets as well as tiling and stitching of large image areas
Optical camera inside the chamber provides images of samples mounted on specimen stage

Bench-top:
- Rigaku Supermini 200
- Wavelength dispersive XRF
- Provides low ppm detection limits for major, minor, and trace elements
- Equipped with a 12 sample autosampler and can analyze either solids or liquids
- Software allows rapid analysis of known and unknown samples
Handheld:
- Bruker Tracer IV Geo handheld XRF.
- Equipped with a large area silicon drift detector as well as a vacuum system for the analysis of lighter elements
- Portable, can be taken to field sites
- Can analyze bulk samples (e.g., rock outcroppings, cuttings, steel beams) without any sample preparation.

OFITE 740 gamma ray logger
Collects both total and spectral gamma (uranium, thorium, and potassium) ray logs
Takes high resolution gamma ray logs at a scan rate of 5 min/ft
Housed in the USGS Core Library

Rigaku SmartLab
Fully automated
Utilizes cross-beam optics (CBO) to enable changing of the incident X-rays by substituting selection slits
Can operate in either Bragg-Brentano or parallel beam focusing methods
Flexible design allows for analysis of samples ranging from loose powder to solid samples
Equipped with both a scintillation counter detector and a D/tex detector for fast data acquisition
A Ka1 system with a monochromator is also available for high intensity measurements
The system is equipped with a CCD camera for imaging of specific areas on a sample
Has a variety of stages allowing analysis of a wide array of sample types and applications

Oxford Geospec2 Core NMR
Can analyze core samples with diameters of 1 inch, 2 inches, and 4 inches
One of first core NMR instruments that can perform q-switched analysis on 4-inch cores
Advanced Green Imaging Technologies GIT-CAPTM software allows determinations of the followingpetrophysical parameters:
- pore size distributions
- effective porosity
- capillary pressure
- FFI
- BVI
- CBW
- hydrogen index permeability
- 2-D data mapping (fluid typing)

Provides a realistic estimate of the sorbent attrition in entrained fluidization-type systems operating at very high fluidization velocities.
Consists of a transport bed, and alternating filters/sorbent recirculation loops.
Automated to operate for long periods, independent of supervision.
Operates at ambient conditions.
Originally designed evaluate attrition of CO₂ sorbents.
Can be used to evaluate a wide range of materials that would be used in a fast fluidization process.

Designed to evaluate attrition characteristics of oxygen carriers in coal-based chemical looping systems.
Capable of high temperature operation (800-1000°C)
Continuously cycles between oxidizing and reducing atmospheres.
Completely instrumented to monitor flows, pressures, temperatures and compositions.
Reaction cycling matches applications - between oxidizing and reducing atmospheres for chemical looping, capture and reducing conditions for CO2 based sorbents, calcination and sulfation for sulfur sorbents, etc.
Applications include any solid materials, such as sorbents for carbon and SO2 capture (e.g. activated carbons and limestone), proppants, etc.

Modes of operation include:

Low temperature with inert gas – provides an indication of the mechanical strength;
High temperature with inert gas – provides an indication of the mechanical strength at elevated temperatures;
High temperature with reaction cycling – continuous cycling gives an indication of the mechanical strength under cyclic reaction conditions

Designed to demonstrate solid sorbent-based CO₂ capture technologies
Utilizes ~30-40 acfm of flue gas from the University of North Dakota steam plant’s coal-fired boilers with propane-fired furnace backup.
Flue gas conditioning system consists of a fabric filter for particulates and wet packed-bed scrubber for SO2
20-ft tall circulating fluid-bed adsorber includes variable speed forced draft fan, flue gas heat exchanger, and fresh sorbent feed system.
Pneumatic transport system to move sorbent between the adsorber and regenerator.
Regenerator system including a moving bed heat exchanger, preheater and cooler
Instrumented to continuously monitor temperatures, pressures, flow rates, compositions, sorbent levels…etc.
Available for evaluation of solid materials for CO₂ or SO₂ capture and sampling or testing that can be accomplished with the test facility’s slipstream of real coal-fired flue gas.

Atmospheric Test Chamber
Down-fired combustor (conventional and oxy-fired; particulate formation; fouling characterization; MATC characterization and control)
Fluid bed combustor/gasifier
Fixed-bed sorbent test system
Underground coal gasification simulator
Fast pyrolysis system
Diesel, turbine and avgas engines
High temperature autoclaves

Advanced Analytical Characterization(Open this section)