New Milestone handbook helps geochemists master efficient and sustainable rock digestion

Milestone Srl has released Efficient Rock Digest Preparation for Geochemists: A Practical Handbook, a comprehensive guide designed to help laboratories achieve complete, accurate, and sustainable dissolution of geological samples.

Authored in collaboration with leading experts from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the handbook provides a unique combination of scientific insight and practical application for the modern geochemist.

Rock digestion is one of the most challenging steps in elemental and isotopic analysis. Traditional methods often fail to completely dissolve resistant minerals such as zircon, rutile, or chromite, leading to data inaccuracies. The new handbook illustrates how advanced microwave digestion systems, including Milestone’s Single Reaction Chamber (SRC) technology, overcome these limitations while enhancing safety, throughput, and sustainability.

“This book bridges decades of geochemical research with cutting-edge digestion technology, offering laboratories an effective path to precise, fast, and greener analysis,” said Prof. Balz Kamber, co-author and Professor of Petrology at QUT.

Covering both the scientific foundations and real-world procedures, the publication details:

• The evolution of wet chemistry and its ongoing relevance
• Strategies to tackle resistant minerals
• Guidelines for sustainable sample preparation
• Step-by-step digestion methods for different rock types

With a focus on efficiency, reproducibility, and environmental responsibility, the handbook represents a new benchmark for laboratories performing trace element and isotope analysis of geological samples.

Available now for download on Milestone’s website, the handbook provides practical guidance to help laboratories worldwide improve their analytical workflows and embrace sustainability in geochemistry.

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