The Earth, Oceans, and Atmospheric Science Department (EOAS) is thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievement of our Electron Microbeam and X-Ray Diffraction Facility (EMXDF) team, who recently competed in the renowned Reynold's Cup competition. In a highly competitive field of 99 teams, the EMXDF team secured 8th place, participating as the anonymous laboratory ‘P25’. 

The Reynold's Cup, named in honor of Bob Reynolds for his pioneering work in clay mineralogy, has become a globally recognized event in the geosciences community. Established in 2000 by Douglas McCarty, Jan Srodon of ChevronTexaco, and Dennis Eberl of the US Geological Survey (USGS), the competition challenges teams to achieve the most accurate quantitative phase analysis using mixtures of pure standards that represent realistic sedimentary rock compositions. Unlike other round-robin events that focus on well-ordered minerals or unknown natural samples, the Reynold’s Cup tests the ability to analyze complex, real-world materials. 

The Reynold’s Cup has grown significantly over the years, with the Clay Minerals Society (CMS) and the German-Austrian-Swiss Clay Group (DTTG) now supporting the event. This biennial competition attracts participants from commercial, industrial, government, and academic labs, providing a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of mineralogical analysis. This year’s competition saw teams from around the world, each using a variety of methods to solve challenging analysis problems. 

In response to the EMXDF’s remarkable achievement, Interim Director Matthijs Smit and the oversight committee commented, "Such a phenomenal result. Anyone who has ever messed with clays knows about the Reynold's Cup. Coming 8th is a stellar endorsement of the lab's capabilities. Clays are notoriously difficult in X-ray diffraction for many reasons…recrystallization, orientation effects, etc. Differences among the top ten essentially come down to minute details. This is a stunning result, especially for a first-time contestant".

Congratulations the EMXDF team and their exceptional accomplishment at the Reynold's Cup!