Development of a semi-automated system for routine preparation of carbonate samples

We constructed a semi-automated system to transform carbonate samples to CO2, as a means to increase sample-processing capacity. The physico-chemical process includes hydrolysis of carbonate, quantification of the mass of carbon and CO2 collection in a glass ampoule. The system is computer-controlled and monitored, and all the data are stored. A single run of five consecutive samples requires about 3.5 hours. Measurements of C-14 concentrations were made on samples of IAEA C-1 Carrara marble to test the reliability of this semi-automated system. These measurements have allowed the determination of the total system background and the memory effect of our system.