9628232 Green This grant provides $93,300 as one-half support of the costs of acquiring a new X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) to be used for rapid, high precision analysis of the major element chemistry of geological materials in the University of Alabama's Central Analytical Facility (CAF) in the Bevill Material, Mineral, and Energy Research Building.. Specific research projects to be conducted utilizing the XRF will include studies on the petrogenesis of ore deposits, granitic magmas, basaltic magmas and arc-derived calc- alkaline magmas as well as studies of thin films by faculty in the materials sciences. A new XRF will complement the portfolio of analytical geochemical instrumentation already housed in this laboratory (ICP-MS; ICP-AES, EMP, XRD, AAS etc.) This instrument, as part of the CAF, will serve not only a diverse group of departmental and institutional users, but also a number or regional academic, government and industry researchers. ***