Mineral mining companies looking for gold and platinum group elements may use precious metals research.

Sanray is familiar with the techniques and in-depth analytical criteria of precious metals mineral exploration, including estimation of  resources and the challenges that explorers face while analysing for precious metals.

Challenges in precious metals analysis:

• Issues with particulate precious metals, such as nuggets and clusters, where the precious metal is a significant component of a trace mineral.
• Separating streams of low and high grade precious metal samples is a crucial necessity.
• Customers’ demand for low-cost, “fit-for-purpose” assays
• Problems with refractory gold and gold that can be processed metallurgically

For applications ranging from grassroots exploration, where sub-ppb sensitivities are needed, to accurate resource estimation and grade control, a wide range of Total Quality Assurance precious metals techniques are available. For gold determinations, lead collection fire assay is still the most common process, but aqua regia digestion, accelerated cyanide leach, and Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) are other choices. Some of these techniques can detect platinum and palladium as well. Only a nickel sulphide array fire assay can assess the complete set of platinum group elements (PGE).

Analytical facilities for precious metals:

• Collection of Pb, NiS, and Fire Assay
• Assay for Screening Fire
• Digest of Aqua Regia
• Techniques of Cyanidation