Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Advanced Search

Department of Mineral Sciences

Izalco Volcano
bar

Bulk analysis by wet chemistry

Wet chem lab

The most accurate means to obtain the bulk composition of certain major components a rock or meteorite remains classical gravimetric and colorimetric analysis. Our "wet" lab is fully equipped to handle problems that demand high accuracy, such as characterization of standard materials as a benchmark for instrumental methods.

Ferrous Fe determination by potassium dichromate titration is routinely performed as part of our standard bulk analysis, typically as a complement to X-Ray fluorescence results.