X-ray Mineral Services Ltd.
 1 Claughton Road,  COLWYN BAY,  LL29 7EF.  UK
 Tel: +44 (0)1492 535250        Fax +44 (0)1492 536463
Key Personnel
Stephen P. Jones, BSc (Hons) Environmental Sciences, majoring in Geological Sciences - Managing Director

Stephen Jones is a mineralogist/petroleum geologist with over 27 years experience in various geological fields including 15 years dedicated to XRD studies. He established X-ray Mineral Services Ltd. (XMS) in 1997 and over the past 11 years has been actively involved in developing X-ray diffraction analytical techniques to their full potential as an aid to the interpretation of petroleum prospects. His responsibilities included client liaison, quality control, interpretation, and the integration and presentation of analytical data. He is currently Managing Director of X-ray Mineral Services Ltd and is responsible for the expansion and strategic development of the business in terms of technical services and support.
Immediately prior to establishing XMS, Mr. Jones was manager of the XRD division of Robertson Research Minerals Ltd. His career history to date includes 2 years field-work in S.E. Asia and Australia as a petroleum geologist and 2 years as a geochemist/party chief responsible for offshore geochemical exploration surveys in the Barents Sea, Norwegian Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Whilst employed by Robertson Research International Ltd. he was involved in the co-ordination and management of both single-well and multi-well evaluation studies in the North Sea petroleum industry.
Mr. Jones is a Fellow of the Geological Society, an Associate of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and a member of the British Crystallographic Association, the Mineralogical Society, the Clay Minerals Society and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and regularly attends meetings, workshops and conferences related to XRD/XRF and Clay Mineralogy.
Jonathan I. Wilkins, BSc (Joint Hons) Chemistry & Earth Sciences, MSc Geochemistry - XRD Team Leader

Jonathan Wilkins joined the company in 2002. His main responsibilities include interpretation of XRD data jointly with the Managing Director, office management, quality control and information technology. His previous experience includes over 13 years of technical support within the wireline logging industry, including nuclear and electrical logs and structural interpretation from acoustic and optical image logs. At MSc level his principal interest was in hard rocks, with a focus on analytical methods (XRD, XRF and Electron Microprobe), petrology and mineral relationships. Jonathan is a member of the British Crystallographic Association and is a regular delegate at their Industrial Group meetings. He is also a Fellow of the Geological Society and founder-chairman of the North Wales Geology Association.
D. Martin Ellis - Laboratory Technician

Martin Ellis joined XMS in 2001, and is responsible for the day to day operation of the laboratory and the diffraction equipment. He is also responsible for sample acceptance, storage, control and preparation. Martin has ten years previous experience as a laboratory technician, working for a soils-testing company. During that time he was responsible for storage, preparation and identification of materials for concrete testing (point-load testing, crushing strength), soils testing (Atterberg limits, clay plasticity, permeability, shear strength and consolidation), particle size analysis and in-situ testing of soils and materials.
Dan Wayland, BSc (Hons) Environmental Forensics - XRD Data Analyst

Dan Wayland joined XMS in 2007 and is responsible for the interpretation of XRD data. Whilst completing his University degree course he specialised in the identification of nutrient contamination using lipid biomarkers. His work in this field has been accredited by winning a prize through the Journal of Environmental Monitoring for initiative research in environmental studies and more recently in the publication of his first paper (Journal of Environmental Forensics). Since joining XMS, Dan has attended a four day PANalytical residential course on the theory of X-ray Diffraction analysis.
Joanna Jones - Laboratory Technician

Jo joined the company in 2008 and is primarily responsible for XRD and XRF sample preparation. She assists in the co-ordination of sample management and with the XRD analysis of samples, deputising for Martin Ellis in his absence. Jo has a wealth of managerial experience in the financial services and retail sectors and is extending her role within the business following her training in XRD data interpretation. In March 2009 she completed the Bruker XRD training school and she is currently studying for her BSc (Hons) in Geosciences.
SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, P2O5, SO3 and Cl. Samples are first dried (105 C) then crushed and ball-milled (agate) to a fine powder and weighed accurately (0.6000g ). This is then mixed with a fixed weight of Lithium Metaborate (or a mix including Tetraborate depending on the sample matrix) of 3.5000g. This mixture is then fused at 1080 C for 15 minutes then cast into a 32mm diameter glass "bead". Loss on ignition (LOI) is calculated on a separate portion of powdered sample. Trace Element Analysis* V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, Br, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Hf, Ta, W, Pb, Bi, Ce, Nd, Th, U. *If the samples are powdered in hardened steel there may be contamination from V, Cr, Ni Cu Zn etc, if crushed in tungsten carbide then W and Co contamination will result. Approximately 10g of powdered sample is mixed with Polyvinyl alcohol binder (Moviol 1%) and pressed at 20T using WC anvils to produce a 32mm Pressed Powder Pellet.