Howard University & Woods Hole Biological Lab Awarded Research & Discovery Grant For Historic Shipwreck Studies

Dr. Hayes, Underwater Archaeologist, plans to analyze raw lumber, ship timbers, and various wood treatments used in ship-building as baseline data for comparison to historic specimens. He also plans to analyze marine sediment and seawater samples as they may represent additional sources of elemental chemistry in shipwreck specimens. Once he has collected his baseline data, Dr. Hayes hopes to study several shipwrecks along with wood samples from his previous studies of the Tulip, Chesapeake Flotilla, and Alabama. His research in the United States will be conducted in and around New England, Washington D.C., and Florida.

Dr. Hayes is using an Olympus Innov-X DELTA Standard Handheld XRF Analyzer. This handheld XRF couples a high resolution, large-area silicon drift detector (SDD) with a powerful 4-watt tube to deliver fast and precise compositional analysis of a variety of materials, including metals, alloys, soil, sediment, wood, wood treatments, and fluids. With dramatically reduced testing times, the DELTA allows hundreds of tests per day enabling one to make immediate in-the-field decisions, maximizing any research and discovery budget.

DELTA handheld XRF analyzers offer cutting edge electronics and X-Ray technology, as well as innovative software features that make DELTA analyzers fast, user-friendly, and easy-to-operate. These analyzers are engineered for continual use, achieving thousands of tests per day in some applications, even in extreme environments. Every DELTA is engineered for rugged toughness and analytical precision.
For more information on the use of the DELTA for Research & Discovery, please visit http://www.olympus-ims.com/en/xrf-xrd/delta-handheld/delta-r-and-d/.