Intertek Minerals

Precious Metals Analysis

Interteks leading expertise and wide range of services,
with state-of-the-art facilities, staffed with local experts,
are critical to the minerals and mining industries.
Intertek understands the process and in-depth analytical
requirements involved in supporting precious metals mineral
exploration, including resource estimation and the issues
facing explorers when analysing for precious metals.

A diverse range of precious metals techniques are available for applications ranging from
grassroots exploration, where sub ppb sensitivities are required, to accurate resource
estimation and grade control. For gold determination lead collection fire assay remains
the classic method, however, aqua regia digestion, accelerated cyanide leach and BLEG
are other options that are available for specific purposes. Platinum and palladium can
also be detected using some of these methods. The full suite of platinum group elements
can only be determined by nickel sulphide collection fire assay.

Lead Collection Fire Assay

Lead collection fire assay remains the method of choice for quantitative gold
determination and this technique is also effective for platinum and palladium. The
samples are mixed with a flux containing lead oxide (litharge). The lead oxide is reduced
by an organic material to metallic lead which quantitatively collects the gold and PGEs.
The lead is removed from the previous metals by oxidation and absorption in a process
called cupellation. The fire assay flux mixture has been carefully formulated to optimise
precious metal recovery in diverse mineralogical matrices. Difficult sample matrices
may necessitate a reduction in the charge weight and modification of the flux mixture.
Samples submitted for the trace determination of gold, platinum or palladium are fused
in new pots using dedicated equipment.

Nickel Sulphide Collection Fire Assay

The nickel sulphide collection fire assay process has been designed to quantitatively
recover all of the platinum group elements. The samples are mixed and fused with a
flux containing nickel oxide and sulphur. The nickel oxide is reduced to nickel sulphide
which quantitatively collects the gold and PGEs. The Au and PGE sulphides are separated
from the nickel sulphide, dissolved and determined by ICP-MS. Special precautions are
taken to retain osmium. Some reduction in charge weight may be necessary for difficult
sample matrices. All nickel sulphide collections are done using new pots.

Screen Fire Assay

Screen fire assay is used to quantify the gold content of samples where conventional
50gram assays are subject to an unacceptable sampling error resulting from coarse gold.
The process involves screening a nominal 1kg sample and firing the entire coarse
fraction, including the screen cloth. Duplicate assays are carried out on the undersize
fraction which is more reproducible due to the smaller gold particle sizes. The total
gold (or platinum and palladium) content is calculated as a weighted mean of the
measured grades of the two screen fractions. This is reported alongside the individual
fraction results.

Aqua Regia Digestion

Aqua regia is a useful screening tool for grassroots exploration and is a cost effective
way to analyse for gold and other elements. Lower detection limits are achieved utilising
Graphite Furnace AAS.
Many minerals will digest effectively in aqua regia, however, silicates and refractory
minerals will remain largely undigested. Aqua regia digestions are suitable for
exploration purposes only and are not recommended for resource analyses.

Cyanide Leaches
Cyanide solutions are used to leach gold from large samples providing a useful method
for both grassroots exploration and resource work. BLEG (Bulk Leach Extractable Gold)
is usually performed on screened stream sediment samples, providing detection of low
level anomalies for regional exploration. High grade leaches utilise the LeachWELLTM
accelerant to extract the cyanide extractable gold. This is an indication of what would be
recovered in routine metallurgical processes.

Contact Details
John Flynn
Director, Business Development

www.intertek.com

15 Davison Street, Maddington, Western Australia, 6109

Telephone: +61 8 9251 8100
Email: john.flynn@intertek.com