This MRI proposal seeks funding to acquire materials characterization equipment. Requested are a wavelength-dispersive spectrometer (WDS), and energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and an electron-backscatter-diffraction unit (EBSD) to be added to an existing electron microscope. In addition, the PIs are requesting an x-ray diffractometer (XRD), and x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), a Raman spectrometer, and an optical microscope with digital imaging capabilities. Instrumentation will be put to use in NSF, EPA, USDA, NOAA, DoD, DOE and other agency-funded research. Major research areas involve understanding mineralogical controls on nutrient availability and mobility in watersheds, characterizing microbial-mineral and water interactions in watersheds and the critical zone, characterizing mixed phase materials such as zeolites and other microporous mineral matrices, understanding mineral distributions at mining sites, and physicochemical condition control by mineralogical microstructure. The fundamental research to be undertaken here will advance the state of knowledge for how mineralogical surfaces impact contaminant and natural compound movement and distribution in groundwaters, watersheds and in the critical zone. The studies will server as a foundation for education and training for environmental science and engineering. Equipment will be incorporated into classes and workshops. The equipment will be placed in recently-renovated existing laboratory space within the Department of Geology. The PIs will comprise the management team and will arrange training and administer day-to-day usage. Funded researchers will be charged a small fee to use the instrumentation. Online scheduling software will be used to solicit instrument use. The EDS will upgrade an existing EM, which is administered by a full-time technician.
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