Changes...

So, something happened today which should increase my output here (as it's far too low).

I know have a proper browser on this computer. Well, I say proper, it's IE8, so it's a marked improvement from IE6 (and it works). This means that I can now blog properly from work and not have to rely on my phone.

Expect more from me, but not today. It's Friday and I don't start anything new on a Friday.

The vagaries of unpredictable machines

So, it turns out that Mike the mass spec man was off for longer than I realise, so, with my potentially superb results still awaiting, I recruited fellow researcher Mandy to run them.

The tension was palpable, in just 30 mins I'd know if my adapted technique works and I get a bucket of kudos (and some personal satisfaction).

The OES is broked. Arrgghh.

These things happen, but at least now I know how to use the damn thing and what's likely to go wrong with it. Shame the thing that's wrong with it today isn't one of them.

Calcium is a go!

So, I've been working, on and off, on trying to get calcium separated from strontium for a few weeks. As mentioned previously, the article from which I've been getting my method from was, aside from giving me a general outline and a feeler for the reagents required, next to useless. So I've had to do things the old fashioned way: trial and error.

It was great! I felt like a proper pioneer of science; throwing chemicals into a test tube (well, a centrifuge tube) and seeing what happens. Turns out; I was using far, far, far too much hydroxide to get my metal ions to precipitate, with the conclusion some cations who quite like to abandon solution with their new OH partner then dissolve right back up again (I'm looking at YOU cobalt!) when there's enough hydroxide available.

Used less this time, but Mike the mass-spec man isn't in until Wednesday so I'm going to have to wait to see if calcium made it through the process, leaving his chums behind.

Who'd have thunk it?

So, turns out I was right; my notorious apathy took over and left this folorn blog postless. Add this to the fact my work PC doesn't do google very well (meaning I can't blog from work) and you get a few weeks without anything. I've got it on my phone now, so things should (ha!) improve....

Anyway, things are afoot in the calcium separation. All will be explained.