The Hunt for Kilchoanite - 2

The white crystals which Nick Winter and Rob Gill thought might be Kilchoanite (see previous post, here), were contained in fragments of rock, pictured above, taken from the slopes of Glas Bheinn. These crystals were so tiny that they had to be analysed using using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) - and, no, The Diary doesn't understand what this means either.

This work was done by Nick Winter of WHD Microanalysis Consultants Ltd. Nick's company specialises in the microscopic analysis of materials such a cement, but Nick also runs a blog which is well worth a visit: it is, if you like, the human side of cement analysis. A good example of the sort of post he writes involves a famous Lochaber feature, made more famous by Harry Potter, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which Nick believes is quite unique in a cement sort of way. Read about it here.

This picture shows a microscope view of one of the rock specimens taken from Glas Bheinn, with four minerals marked A - D, from which it might have been possible to identify Kilchoanite.

Each of the four minerals was also analysed chemically to confirm any identification. The X-ray spectrum shown above is for mineral D, which, as can be seen, is made up of potassium, aluminium, sodium and silicon (plus oxygen, not shown) - Nick identifies this as a felspar.

Despite all Nick's hard work, none of the minerals identified so far have been Kilchoanite, but Nick hasn't finished, and has promised that the hunt will go on. In the meanwhile, anyone who would like to read Nick's report on his findings can download it here.