[M-IS18] Paleoclimatology and paleoceanography

[MIS18-P22] Two new free-access dry splitter designs (1/2 to 1/32 aliquots) for sediment fractionation

*Yusuke Okazaki¹, Martin Tetard², Ross Marchant³ (1.Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, 2.Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, CEREGE, 3.School of Electrical Engineering & Robotics, Queensland University of Technology)

This study presents two new dry sediment splitters for use in sample fractionation for micropalaeontological and sedimentological studies, designed so that the aliquot of interest can be recovered in a single operation. The first model (adjustable) provides a single aliquot, adjustable from 1/2 to 1/32 fraction. The second model (fixed) divides the sediment into six aliquots of different sizes. Both designs enable faster sediment splitting in comparison to the traditional sequential 1/2 fraction method. The average split accuracy and repeatability across the range of aliquot fractions were tested for each splitter, giving 94% and 85% for the adjustable design, and 92% and 84% for the fixed design, respectively. A comparison with the classic splitter method gave equal or better results. The splitters can be 3D printed very cheaply as the design files have been made freely accessible (https://github.com/microfossil/tetard-marchant-splitter), and can also be ordered online (https://micropalprinter.wordpress.com).