Evaluating the quality of pure mineral extraction during luminescence sample preparation

Through the last 50 years, Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating has been applied to get absolute age estimates for the last exposure of minerals like quartz or feldspar to light or heat. The method provides manifold applications for unraveling the geochronological scale of surface processes and related sediment archives. Over time, technology and techniques improved creating new ways to get a more accurate age. However, ensuring the quality of dating results commenceswith sample preparation and accurate extraction of the dosimeter (quartz or feldspar). Standard separation procedures for quartz-based OSL dating involve a series of steps to enrich the quartz. Due different wettability of feldspar and quartz is possible
to separate them through froth flotation. Our goal is to determine the quality of quartz separation of one poly-mineral sample of fluvial sediments from Pamir applying feldspar flotation. This froth-type method showed in past experiments quartz concentrations of 95-100 %. Using X-ray diffraction analysis, we trace the chemical composition of each step of the process to illustrate the advantage of this froth method in getting high-purity quartz extracts.