Precious metal analysis on Thermo

Scientific Niton analyzers

 Gold Demand and Supply

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 Gold Supply

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 Gold Jewelry consumption by country
12 quarter through Q3 2012 in M$

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 Fact and Figures: 2011 global demand in Pt, Pd and Rh by
application
Pt Pd Rh

252 tons 277 tons 28 tons

automotive catalyst is by far the most important application for PGMs

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 Target customers for precious metal analyzers
• Low end market: jewelers and precious metals buyer, seller, recyclers
• Small refiners, recyclers
• Pawn shop
• Cash-for-gold type firms
• Jewelers
• Other PM buyers and seller (bank, numismatics etc.)

• High end market: QA/QC

• Refineries for incoming inspections
• Penalty elements like Cd, Hg, Se, Te, Os, Tl, Pb, Bi, Ta etc.
• Main components: which type of refinery process the material will undergo
• Hallmarking centers
• Jewelry manufacturer

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 Which analyzer to offer for PMA ?
Instruments Low End Market High End Market
Niton XL2-100

Niton DXL

Niton XL2 800 * *

Niton XL2 980 * *
Niton XL3t 800

Niton XL3t 980 GOLDD+ or

Niton XL3t 985 ULTRA

Requires XL3t for catalyst program

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*With customized element suite,
 Element suites & Filter settings for precious metals
Instrument Filter Setting Element suites
DXL Al@45 kV Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Pb
Au Pt Ir Ge Ga Zn Cu Ni Co
Fe Mn Cr Ti
XL2-100 Al@38 kV Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Pb
Au Pt Ir Ge Ga Zn Cu Ni Co
Fe Mn Cr Ti
XL2 800, Mo@45 kV In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Pb Au
XL2 980 GOLDD Se Pt Ir Zn Cu Ni Co Fe

XL3t 800 Ag@50 kV Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Mo

Nb Pb Au Pt Ir Ga Zn Cu Ni
Co Fe Mn Cr Ti
XL3t 980 GOLDD+, Al@50kV Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Mo
XL3t 985 ULTRA Nb Pb Au Pt Ir Ga Zn Cu Ni
Co Fe Mn Cr Ti

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 Exemplified Precision & stability of the instrument
XL3t 800

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 Analysis of reference materials
Sample Au-fire assay Au Au Error Ag- nominal Ag Ag Error
A 58.50 58.64 0.12 29.5 29.22 0.10
B 74.98 74.85 0.13 5 4.99 0.04
C 89.83 89.92 0.14 10 10.02 0.06
D 94.99 95.05 0.14 2.5 2.45 0.03
E 75.01 74.85 0.12 10 9.96 0.06
F 89.96 89.98 0.13 5 4.95 0.04
G 74.99 74.91 0.13 15 14.92 0.07
H 58.49 58.34 0.11 4.5 4.53 0.03

Probe Cu-Nominal Cu Cu Error

A 12 12.14 0.07
B 20 20.16 0.08
C - <0.02
D 2.5 2.51 0.03
E 15 15.19 0.07
F 5 5.07 0.04
G 10 10.16 0.06
H 37 36.74 0.09

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 Customized configuration for refineries

Needs of refineries
• One program screen items to be melted for deleterious elements like As, Se, Pb,
Hg, Cd, Tl or elements that affect the process like Mo, Nb, Ti, etc. High precision
not required.
• Another program to analyze alloys with good accuracy
• XRF is not supposed to replace Fire Assay

Configuration proposed: X2 800 or XL3t 800 with P and customized B

Program Filter Setting Element suites

Precious metals Al@45 kV Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Mo Nb Pb Au Pt
Ir Ga Zn Cu Ni Co Fe Mn Cr Ti
Electronic Alloys Mo@50 kV Al Te Sb Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru
Mo Nb Bi Pb Hg Au Pt Se As Tl
Ge Ga Zn Cu Ni Co Fe Mn Cr Ti

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 Analysis of turnings

Ingots and bullion obtain after enrichment of precious

metals are often not homogenous at the surface: sample
must be taken from the core as turning

increase the coverage of the window of the analyzer,

Better counting statistics.

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 Analysis of turnings: results of analysis for Au

Average absolute deviation from reference value = 0.38 %

Maximal absolute deviation from reference value = 1.1 % (level of 41 %)

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 Analysis of turnings: results of analysis for Ag

Average absolute deviation from reference value = 0.32 %

Maximal absolute deviation from reference value = 0.8 % (level of 10 %)

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 Heterogeneous surface

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 Heterogeneous surface
Bubbled face
2s- 2s- 2s- 2s- 2s- 2s-
Au Cd Ag Zn Cu Ni Fe 2s-error
error error error error error error
Given value (%) 73.40
value pos. 1 (%) 73.35 0.37 0.17 0.03 12.84 0.19 0.70 0.08 12.56 0.21 0.21 0.05 0.18 0.07
value pos. 2 (%) 73.40 0.39 0.17 0.03 12.75 0.19 0.76 0.08 12.61 0.21 0.18 0.05 < LOD : 0.131
value pos. 3 (%) 71.92 0.40 0.19 0.03 12.22 0.19 1.91 0.10 12.40 0.21 0.24 0.05 0.79 0.10

Plane face
2s- 2s- 2s- 2s- 2s-
Au Cd Ag Zn 2s-error Cu 2s-error Ni Fe
error error error error error
Given value (%) 73.4
value pos. 1 (%) 71.96 0.39 0.14 0.03 12.52 0.19 2.81 0.11 11.82 0.20 0.19 0.05 0.57 0.09
value pos. 2 (%) 73.83 0.39 0.12 0.03 12.84 0.20 0.79 0.08 12.24 0.21 0.18 0.05 < LOD : 0.121
value pos. 3 (%) 74.00 0.39 0.14 0.03 12.76 0.20 0.51 0.08 12.31 0.21 0.22 0.05 < LOD : 0.112

Plane face Polished

2s- 2s- 2s- 2s- 2s-
Au Cd Ag Zn 2s-error Cu 2s-error Ni Fe
error error error error error
Given value (%) 73.4
value pos. 1 (%) 72.96 0.39 0.14 0.03 12.52 0.19 0.81 0.11 11.82 0.20 0.19 0.05 0.57 0.09
value pos. 2 (%) 73.83 0.39 0.12 0.03 12.84 0.20 0.79 0.08 12.24 0.21 0.18 0.05 < LOD : 0.121
value pos. 3 (%) 74.00 0.39 0.14 0.03 12.76 0.20 0.51 0.08 12.31 0.21 0.22 0.05 < LOD : 0.112

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 Customized configuration for refineries

• Development of a program enabling the determination of 30 elements: Al Te Sb

Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Mo Nb Bi Pb Hg Au Pt Se As Tl Ge Ga Zn Cu Ni Co Fe Mn
Cr Ti

• Accuracy less important

• Specifications of some customer difficult to comply with

Maximal accepted concentration for harmful elements (%)

Base As Bi Cd Cu Fe Hg Ir Ni Pd Pb Rh Ru Sb Se Sn Zn Te
Au 0.1 0.1 0.2 8 1 0.01 1 1 0.1 0.2 0.05 0.5 0.05
Ag 0.1 0.1 0.2 10 1 0.01 0. 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.05
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Pt 0.1 10 1 0.01 1 1 1 5 0.1 1 0.5 0.05
Pd 0.1 10 1 0.01 1 1 1 5 0.1 1 0.5 0.05

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 Results of analysis for deleterious elements

Element SAMPLE s551 s654 s655 a729 Element SAMPLE s551 s654 s655 a729
Au Niton 1.295 0.4 17.266 Cd Niton 8.596
Refinery Lab 1.167 0.42 15 Refinery Lab 9.8
Ag Niton 86.888 1.216 0.605 43.196 Pb Niton 0.267 1.702 1.79
Refinery Lab 92.5 1.271 0.631 45 Refinery Lab 0.19 1.65 1.57
Pt Niton 1.709 0.138 As Niton 0.487
Refinery Lab 1.603 0.166 Refinery Lab -
Pd Niton 32.125 34.149 11.011 Zn Niton 11.57 0.318 0.262 3.233
Refinery Lab 36.892 39.077 13 Refinery Lab 7 0.22 0.15 3.2
Sb Niton 0.044 0.038 Cu Niton 58.618 60.71 16.271
Refinery Lab 0.05 0.03 Refinery Lab 55.048 56.219 14
Sn Niton 1.054 1.378 Ni Niton 0.688
Refinery Lab 1.3 1.61 Refinery Lab 0.58
In Niton 0.144 0.15 Fe Niton 0.158
Refinery Lab 0.08 0.07 Refinery Lab 0.06 0.02

All values in %

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 Overlaps in the region 8-12 keV
Pb Se As Au Pt Zn W Cu Os Ir Ga Ge Tl Hg Bi

Pb

Se

As

Au

Pt

Zn

Cu

Os

Ir

Ga

Ge

Tl

Hg

Bi

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 Other possible configuration adding program for
catalyst and ash analysis
Needs of refineries
• 1 program to screening precious metal alloys to be melted
• 1 program to analyze precious metals with good accuracy
• 1 program to analyze automotive catalysts
• 1 program to analyze ashes

Configuration proposed: XL3t 980 with P cust. B, cust. M

Program Filter Setting Element suites
Precious metals Al@50 kV Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Mo Nb Pb Au Pt Ir Ga Zn
Cu Ni Co Fe Mn Cr Ti
Electronic Alloys Mo@50 kV Al Te Sb Sn In Cd Ag Pd Rh Ru Mo Nb Bi Tl Pb
(screening of PMA) Hg Au Pt Se As Ge Ga Zn Cu Ni Co Fe Mn Cr Ti
Mining Cu/Zn Mo@50, Al@50,Cu@20, Ce La Ba Sb Sn Cd Ag Pd Rh Mo Nb Zr Y Sr Rb
(Auto-catalyst) Nofilt@8 kV Bi As Pb Pt Hf Se W Zn Cu Ni Co Fe Mn Cr Ti Ca
K Al P Si Cl S Mg
Mining Ta/Hf Mo@50, Al@50,Cu@20, Ce La Ba Sb Sn Cd Ag Pd Rh Mo Nb Zr Y Sr Rb
(Ashes) Nofilt@8 kV Bi Pb Br As Pt Au Ir Se W Zn Cu Ni Co Fe Mn Cr
Ti Ca K Al P Si Cl S Mg

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 Determination of Ag in Ashes

1: infinitely thick? Inconsistence of the results with the spectrum

4, 5, 6: inconsistence of the results with the spectra, when compared to the
spectra respectively the results for other samples

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