NOTE: The ideal sample is as coarse in grain size as possible. After irradiation very fine grained separates become radioactive powder and present serious concerns for contamination in the lab.

The general rule is that the coarsest size fraction which can be separated from your rock without composite (multi-mineralic) grains is desirable. Coarse material is easier to handle and less dangerous after it has been irradiated. Pure mineral separates are critical. Coarse-grained samples may often be most easily separated by hand picking under a binocular microscope. Samples separated using heavy liquids such as bromoform must be rinsed thoroughly in acetone afterwards to avoid potential contamination of our vacuum system. Zapping the mineral separates in acetone followed by distilled water in an ultrasonic bath will aid in final cleanup also. We need approximately 50-100 mg of a typical mineral separate for analysis. If your sample is pumice it is often simple to crush the sample to 1-2 mm size fraction and hand pick the phenocrysts under a binocular scope. Final treatment should include a brief treatment in dilute HF (~10%), for ~5-10 minutes, to remove glass if present.