Outstanding material characterisation, analytical equipment and expertise

The Macquarie University Material Characterisation and Analysis Facility (MCAF) includes world-class instrumentation supported by technical experts and is available for research and teaching, as well as commercial projects.

We provide infrastructure and technologies to support cutting edge research in microanalysis, elemental and isotopic analysis, imaging and spectroscopy, and we can develop methods and technologies to meet characterisation and analytical needs.

Do you have a scientific question or curiosity and aren't sure where to start?

With our broad expertise, we have worked in a range of sciences from Archaeology to Zircons. Contact us and let our expert staff help you create a plan to address your questions.

  • Teledyne Photon Machines Irida laser ablation system
  • Zeiss EVO MA15 Scanning electron microscope (with Oxford Instruments Aztec Synergy EDS/EBSD)
  • Four Agilent quadrupole ICP-MS (two 7700cx)
  • Nu Plasma high resolution multi-collector ICP-MS
  • Thermo Finnigan Triton TIMS
  • Photon Machines Excite Excimer laser ablation system
  • Photon Machines Analyte G2 Excimer laser ablation system
  • PANalytical Axios 1kW XRF with rocker-furnace sample preparation equipment
  • LECO RC412 H2O-CO2 analyser
  • Ortec Alpha Particle counter
  • New Wave MicroMill micro-sampling apparatus
  • ThermoFisher iN10 FTIR microscope
  • SelFrag electrostatic rock disaggregation facility
  • Clean labs and sampling facilities provide infrastructure for ICPMS, XRF and isotopic analyses of small and/or low-level samples
  • Raman spectrometer

The Organic Geochemistry lab is dedicated to trace hydrocarbon analysis, and is a shared facility at Macquarie University.

Read more about our organic geochemistry laboratory and instruments.

Stable isotope lab

Equipment includes:

  • ThermoFisher MAT 253 Plus stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer with 1013 ohm detector for clumped isotope determination
  • ThermoFisher gas bench for automated carbonate and water sample preparation
  • Two MAT 252 mass stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers with C, N, S, O, S, H measurement capacity
  • Sample preparation lab including vacuum lines and furnaces for stable isotope analysis.
Shale and carbonate nanoscale imaging lab

Equipment includes:

  • FEI Teneo 1nm resolution Field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with EDS and quantitative <1µm resolution mineral mapping (Nanomin)
  • Argon ion beam polishing
  • JEOL single filament SEM with EDS
  • Agilent MP-AES
  • Elemental analyser for C, N, S
  • Nikon organic petrographic optical microscope with fluorescence light source
  • Mineral surface area measurement
  • Shale and carbonate preparation laboratory including centrifuges, mills, acid digestion hoods and a microbalance.

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Sponsors and collaborators

The MCAF is proudly supported or working in conjunction with the following groups:

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E: School of Natural Sciences