Hutton ClaysAndMinerals.com is directed by Dr Stephen Hillier but involves seven other key members of staff engaged primarily in the three principal techniques at the core of our business, X-ray Powder Diffraction, Electron Microscopy and Infra-red Spectroscopy.  All staff work closely together which is key to our ability to offer added value through insight and integrated interpretations rather than simply providing raw data in isolation.

Currently, there are three members of staff involved with XRPD – Dr Steve Hillier, who leads this section, Dr Ian Phillips, and Miss Helen Pendlowski.

Ian, Steve and Helen have considerable experience in the application of XRPD to a wide variety of materials, and are always willing to chat about the capabilities of XRPD. Steve Hillier recently won the 2008 Reynolds Cup attesting of the quality of the work performed in the XRPD lab at The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen.

The James Hutton Institute has a long history of research on minerals, particularly clay minerals, and the Institute's XRPD laboratory, first established in the 1940’s, is a key part of this. XRPD is used extensively in the Institutes' research programmes on soils and sediments.

Electron microscopy is led by Dr Evelyne Delbos, with Mrs Laura-Jane Strachan, whilst the infra-red section is led by Dr Jean Robertson, with Mr Tony Fraser and Dr Rachael Hill.

In addition we work alongside and have access to many specialist staff within the James Hutton Institute.