Services (U-Pb)

U-Pb dating is possible for a range of accessory minerals (zircon, baddeleyite, perovskite, titanite, monazite, rutile, apatite, garnet, ilmenite) in terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples. The CCIM U-Pb facility has the capability of analysing the age of minerals and rocks using state-of-the-art isotope dilution and in situ techniques. The highest precision U-Pb dates are obtained by Isotope Dilution Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ID-TIMS) and CCIM has the unique capacity in Canada to measure ultra-high precision Pb isotopic compositions on <20 picograms of Pb using a newly installed Triton Plus equipped with 10¹²Ω Faraday amplifiers. In addition, in situ U-Pb dating can be conducted using either Laser Ablation Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-MC-ICPMS) or Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) on isolated mineral grains secured in an epoxy mount or directly in a petrographic thin section. The CCIM U-Pb facility is the only laboratory in Canada that offers combined U-Pb and Sr/Nd isotopic analyses of kimberlitic perovskite, an important technique in tracing the origin of primary diamond deposits, and bioapatite, important for tracing the evolution of life.

Fee Structure