Precious Metals Analysis

Precious metals analysis for minerals exploration companies searching for gold and platinum group elements.

Intertek understands the processes 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.

Precious metals analysis challenges: 

• Issues of particulate precious metals when the precious metal forms a major component of a trace mineral, nuggets and clusters
• The important requirement to separate streams of low and high grade precious metal samples
• The requirement of customers to obtain cost effective “fit for purpose” assays
• Issues of refractory gold and gold amenable to metallurgical processes

A diverse range of Total Quality Assurance 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 determinations lead collection fire assay remains the classic method of choice, however, aqua regia digestion, accelerated cyanide leach or Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) are other options available for specific purposes. Platinum and palladium can also be detected by some of these methods. The full suite of platinum group elements (PGE) can only be determined by nickel sulphide collection fire assay.

Precious metals analytical services:

• Fire Assay, Pb and NiS Collection
• Screen Fire Assay
• Aqua Regia Digest
• Cyanidation Techniques