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A New Application Report from Rigaku Describes Elemental Analysis Method for Silver and Copper in Ore by EDXRF

Austin, TX – April 26, 2016. Applied Rigaku Technologies, Inc. today announced a new method for the analysis of low levels of precious metals in copper ore by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). Rigaku EDXRF Application Note 1575 describes the measurement of silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) in copper ore and demonstrates the performance of the Rigaku NEX DE EDXRF spectrometer. The report includes complete information about sample preparation, method calibration and repeatability.

Silver naturally occurs in various ore and minerals, often as sulfides or chlorides or in combination with arsenic or antimony. A main source of silver is copper ore. It is also found in copper-nickel, gold, lead and lead-zinc ores. Silver and other precious metals are also reclaimed from tailing piles or other recycled ore materials that would otherwise be discarded. The silver, therefore, must often be measured at relatively low levels, since low silver levels can be considered profitable to extract.

For the analysis detailed in this report, ore samples were ground to dry, homogeneous powders. Calibration was performed by empirical regression to ensure accuracey.

Measurement was performed using the Rigaku NEX DE EDXRF analyzer with 60 kV excitation source . The unit’s multiple automated tube filters and high-throughput SDD detector, capable of yielding 500,000+ cps, deliver excellent sensitivity for the measurement of higher atomic number elements like silver.

The results detailed in the report show outstanding performance by the NEX DE analyzer for the precise measurement of low levels of precious metals in ore, as well as the major and minor ore constituents.

A copy of this application report may be requested on Rigaku’s EDXRF website.

For further information, contact:

Scott Fess
Product Manager
Applied Rigaku Technologies, Inc.
tel: +1. 512-225-1796
info@RigakuEDXRF.com