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Raimund Muscheler

Raimund Muscheler

Professor

Raimund Muscheler

Batch processing of tree-ring samples for radiocarbon analysis

Author

  • Alexandra Fogtmann-Schulz
  • Sabrina G.K. Kudsk
  • Florian Adolphi
  • Christoffer Karoff
  • Mads F. Knudsen
  • Neil J. Loader
  • Raimund Muscheler
  • Pernille L.K. Trant
  • Stine M. Ostbo
  • Jesper Olsen

Summary, in English

We here present a comparison of methods for the pretreatment of a batch of tree rings for high-precision measurement of radiocarbon at the Aarhus AMS Centre (AARAMS), Aarhus University, Denmark. The aim was to develop an efficient and high-Throughput method able to pretreat ca. 50 samples at a time. We tested two methods for extracting α-cellulose from wood to find the most optimal for our use. One method used acetic acid, the other used HCl acid for the delignification. The testing was conducted on background 14C samples, in order to assess the effect of the different pretreatment methods on low-Activity samples. Furthermore, the extracted wood and cellulose fractions were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which showed a successful extraction of α-cellulose from the samples. Cellulose samples were pretreated at AARAMS, and the graphitization and radiocarbon analysis of these samples were done at both AARAMS and the radiocarbon dating laboratory at Lund University to compare the graphitization and AMS machine performance. No significant offset was found between the two sets of measurements. Based on these tests, the pretreatment of tree rings for high-precision radiocarbon analysis at AARAMS will henceforth use HCI for the delignification.

Department/s

  • Quaternary Sciences
  • MERGE: ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system

Publishing year

2021

Language

English

Pages

77-89

Publication/Series

Radiocarbon

Volume

63

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Arizona Board of Regents (University of Arizona)

Topic

  • Earth and Related Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • AMS dating
  • carbon
  • pretreatment
  • radiocarbon
  • radiocarbon AMS dating

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0033-8222