Isotope Ratio Reference Materials

The IAG supports an ongoing programme for the characterisation and distribution of high quality materials targeting the calibration of isotope ratio determinations based on in situ analytical methods. These include tourmalines characterised for Li, B and O isotope ratios and apatites for Cl ratios. In addition, apatites MGMH#133648 and MGMH#128441A have been characterised for oxygen isotopes as well.

A single aliquot consists of approximately 100 mg of material.

The apatite samples cover almost the full compositional space of the F-Cl-OH system as shown in the ternary plot.

New additions to our list of mineral reference materials are some sulphate minerals (anhydrite, gypsum and barite) characterised for δ18O and δ34S. These can be purchased individually or in sets consisting of either two anhydrites, two gypsums or three barites. Full details of their characterisation can be found in Li et al. (2023) – see list of references below.

In all cases, a single aliquot consists of approximately 100 mg of sub-1.4 mm material.

The Durham Romil Osmium Solution (DROsS) prepared at the University of Durham, UK, as an osmium isotope reference solution is also available through the IAG.

Purchase Code Material(s) Isotope systems Citation *Price
Apatite TUBAF#37 TUBAF#37

δ37Cl

Wudarska et al. (2021) 150 GBP
Apatite TUBAF#38 TUBAF#38

δ37Cl

Wudarska et al. (2021) 150 GBP
Apatite TUBAF#40 TUBAF#40

δ37Cl

Wudarska et al. (2021) 150 GBP
Apatite TUBAF#50 TUBAF#50 [a]

δ37Cl

Wudarska et al. (2021) 300 GBP
Apatite MZ-TH MZ-TH

δ18O

Wudarska et al. (2022) 150 GBP
Apatite ES-MM ES-MM

δ18O

Wudarska et al. (2022) 300 GBP
MGMH Apatite set MGMH#133648, MGMH#128441A

δ37Cl, δ18O

Wudarska et al. (2021, 2022) 450 GBP
Anhydrite 13491 Anhydrite 13491

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Anhydrite 40347 Anhydrite 40347

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Anhydrite set of 2 Anhydrites 13491 and 40347

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 200 GBP
Barite 14898 Barite 14898

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Barite 16921 Barite 16921

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Barite 48628 Barite 48628

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Barite set of 3 Barites 14898, 16921 and 48628

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 300 GBP
Gypsum 16655 Gypsum 16655

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Gypsum 37603 Gypsum 37603

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 150 GBP
Gypsum set of 2 Gypsums 16655 and 37603

δ18O, δ34S

Li et al. (2023) 200 GBP
Osmium solution DROsS

Os

Luguet et al. (2008) 150 GBP
Tourmaline set Dravite, Schorl, Elbaite [b]

δ7Li, δ11B, δ18O

Leeman and Tonarini (2001), Wiedenbeck et al. (2021) 450 GBP
*discount available to IAG members

Notes:

[a] There is very limited supply of this particular material and we therefore ask scientists interested in purchasing it to provide evidence of previous work on this isotope system.

[b] These are the same materials as described under in the section headed “Reference Materials for Light Elements” under Microanalytical Reference Materials

References for Isotope Ratio materials:

Li B., Wiedenbeck M., Couffignal F., Álvarex-V A M., Bao H-M., Fan C-F., Han J., Jin G-S., Peng Y-B., Syczewski M.D., Tait K.T., Feng D., Wilke F.D.H. and Wortmann U.G. (2023). Barite, anhydrite and gypsum reference materials for in situ oxygen and sulfur isotope ratio measurements. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12533

Leeman W.P. and Tonarini S. (2001). Boron isotopic analysis of proposed borosilicate mineral reference samples. Geostandards Newsletter, 25(2-3), 399-403

Luguet A., Nowell G.M. and Pearson D.G. (2008). 184Os / 188Os and 186Os / 188Os measurements by Negative Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (N-TIMS): Effects of interfering element and mass fractionation corrections on data accuracy and precision. Chemical Geology, 248(3-4), 342-62

Wiedenbeck M., Trumbull R.B., Rosner M., Boyce A., Fournelle J.H., Franchi I.A., Halama R., Harris C., Lacey J.H., Marschall H., Meixner A., Pack A., Pogge von Strandmann P.A.E., Spicuzza M.J., Valley J.W., Wilke F.D.H (2021). Tourmaline reference materials for the in situ analysis of oxygen and lithium isotope ratio compositions. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 45/1, doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12362.

Wudarska A., Słaby E., Wiedenbeck M., Barnes J.D., Bonifacie M., Sturchio N.C., Bardoux G., Couffignal F., Glodny J., Heraty L., John T., Kusebauch C., Mayanna S., Wilke F.D.H., Deput E. (2021). Inter‐laboratory characterisation of apatite reference materials for chlorine isotope analysis. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12366.

Wudarska A., Wiedenbeck M., Słaby E., Lempart-Drozd M., Harris C., Joachimski M.M., Lécuyer C., MacLeod K.G., Pack A., Vennemann T., Couffignal F., Feng D., Glodny J., Kusebauch C., Mayanna S., Rocholl A., Speir L., Sun Y., Wilke F.D.H. (2022). Characterisation of apatite reference materials for oxygen isotope analysis and associated methodological considerations. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12416