Concentration increases in the isotopic germanium carrier solutions inferred from solution weights

Concentration increases in the isotopic germanium carrier solutions via evaporation would produce weight losses in the carrier solutions. Since the bottle containing each carrier is usually weighed before and after the removal of carrier for a given run, the possibility exists of finding evidence for increasing carrier concentration in this record. With few exceptions the weighings were performed on the same top-loading balance in the external chemistry lab. The primary purpose was to monitor carrier usage, not to look for evidence for increasing carrier concentration. However, in order to look for this evidence, it is necessary only to compare the weights of the closed bottles between the times of carrier removal. This comparison has been performed and is reported here. Bear in mind that there is some evidence that the bottle containing carrier was not always weighted in the same way (e.g. perhaps a plastic bag was not removed from the bottle or the bottle cap was removed before weighing). Another possible source of weighing errors is the occasional buildup of static charges, especially on dry winter days. Such problems of static electricity were easily recognized and overcome. For the most part, the resulting record agrees with the assumption that the weighings were performed consistently. Carrier solution data were analyzed and a correction factor was calculated