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Construction of a Cold-Seal Pressure Vessel Apparatus


Justin G. Casaus, SA-8013, and Laura E. Waters, PhD


Casaus is a graduating senior currently in the process of submitting applications for graduate school where he plans to apply his work and academic experiences toward the achievement of a PhD in experimental petrology.


As an undergraduate at Sonoma State University, my undergraduate senior the- sis research focused on determining the pre-eruptive conditions (i.e., temperature, water content and pressure) of a large (~50km3) ignimbrite and the associated resurgent lava dome located on the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles island arc. My thesis revealed that the magma storage conditions ranged between 769 ±12°C and 794 ± 7°C, and ~8.9 wt.% to


5.5 wt.% H2O for the ignimbrite. The resurgent lava dome exhibited hotter and drier storage conditions when compared to the ignimbrite, with a range of from 798±40°C to 834 ±15°C, and 8.1 to 4.8


wt.% H2O. Oxygen fugacities (relative      and +1 for both the ignimbrite and dome samples. To test these results, my advisor and I are going to conduct phase equilib- rium experiments, and, therefore need to construct a cold seal apparatus capable of reaching the temperatures and pressures of the Dominica samples. I am finding that I can employ all my past experiences and skills obtained as a machinist, auto mechanic, and aircraft mechanic towards the fabrication of key components for the construction of a High P-T cold-seal pres- sure vessel apparatus.


The apparatus is currently being con- structed in a shared space laboratory, where the layout of the lab itself present-


ed obstacles to overcome. The apparatus requires a steady source of water and compressed air. Unfortunately, neither of these were available in close proximity to our designated area which required a


the counter option was not available to us: this required the construction by us of the pressure head coupling. Based on the manufacturing schematics for the pressure vessel we formulated the specifications for our required pressure head coupling. We sourced a length of two-inch wide hexagonal bar made of 310 machinable steel: even though 310 steel may eventually rust, we knew that our lathe and mill could machine it. Using a South Bend 10” lathe, I machined a 3/8” through hole and a 1¼ -12 NFT threaded hole from our raw material. We were very excited when the pressure head seam- lessly connected to the vessel with a few frictionless turns.


The manufactured coupling nut, disassembled


Currently the apparatus will be used in support of one furnace with the option to add another. Upon completion of the assembly of the apparatus we will be conducting water solubility experiments on rhyolite melts in precious metal (Au) capsules for calibration purposes. Construction of this experimental appa- ratus has provided me the opportunity to use skills I obtained as a tradesman to questions rooted in geologic research.


The manufactured coupling nut, assembled


certain amount of creativity on the part of my advisor Dr. Laura Waters and myself. We decided that a length of air compressor hose connected to the building-supplied compressed air outlet on the opposite side of the room would be an efficient and practical means of providing our compressed air. Fortunately, a number of capped off water pipes were littered across the wall of the laboratory, but none on our side of the laboratory. Once again, we devised a plan, which consisted of sweating together various lengths of copper pipe and elbows, thus routing the building water to our apparatus.


Casaus operating the lathe (Southbend 10”) is the manufacturing process of the pressure head coupling nut.


36 TPG Jan.Feb.Mar 2019


With our water and air supply prob- lems settled we were able to focus on the construction of a key component to the apparatus, the pressure head cou- pling. The pressure head coupling joins high pressure tubing to the waspaloy (a nickel-based superalloy) vessel. An over


My advisor and I would like to thank the Geology Department and Dean Stauffer of the School of Science and Technology at Sonoma State University for supporting this project.


Waspaloy vessel, with assembled coupling nut in the furnace.


www.aipg.org


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