This grant provides support for the establishment of a density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) facility at the University of Kentucky, Department of Geological Sciences. The facility would enable investigators Susan Rimmer, Ana Carmo, Harold Rowe and their students to separate relatively pure (>95%) organic constituents from coals and kerogens for subsequent geochemical and isotopic analysis. In combination with optical petrography, the DGC technique allows for determination of the relative proportions of marine and terrestrial organic matter that make up individual coal and kerogen macerals and, when coupled with mass spectrometry, evaluation of maceral-specific stable isotopic ratios. The DGC facility will support investigations of Devonian-Mississippian black shales and will allow for maceral specific isotopic determinations in order to better evaluate organic matter sources and degree of preservation. Specific equipment that will be purchased includes a centrifuge capable of 20,000 RPM and multiple rotors designed to allow centrifugation at specific cut-point densities. Additional equipment will include a micronizer for fine grinding of demineralized organic materials and various glassware supplies and reagents. The DGC facility will serve the PI's efforts to train students from traditionally underrepresented groups and will be available as multi-user facility for organic geochemists across the country interested in coal petrology and petroleum geochemistry. ***
