APPLICATION NOTE

Multi Element – GBMS304-4

SUMMARY

The application note summarizes the digestion of GBMS304-4, a multi-element Certified Reference Material using ColdBlock Digestion Pro Series Technology.

Instrument:ColdBlock CBM sample digester, chiller, HF compatible liners, ICP-MS & ICP-OES
Published:January 2023
Digestion Time:30 Minutes
Acid Used:Aqua Regia, HF & H3BO3
Average ColdBlock Recovery vs. CRM:
  • 96% Silver
  • 103% Arsenic
  • 99% Sulfur

METHODOLOGY

  1. Chiller temperature was set to -5°C
  2. 0.25g of each sample was weighed and placed into a ColdBlock™ Digestion vessel
  3. 20 mL of Aqua Regia + 3 mL HF was added
  4. Sample was digested at 80% power for 20 minutes
  5. 20mL of 4% v/v Boric acid was added
  6. Samples were digested again at 80% power for 10 minutes
  7. Samples were cooled and bulked to 50mL using 2% HNO3+ 0.5% HClv/v

DISCUSSION

  • The addition of Boric acid will help re-solubilize any insoluble fluorides and will help neutralize any remaining HF in solution
  • If Silver precipitates out of solution as AgCl, bulk up with >20% HClv/v
  • If the Sulfide content of your sample is > 10 % – reverse the ratios of Aqua Regia and use 1:3, HCl:HNO3 – always add the Nitric acid first (reddish brown NO2 fumes might form)

Prior to homogenization and testing, this material was sourced from Cu / Au sulphidic ore

geostats.com.au

GBMS304-4; Multi-element; Geostats Pty Ltd, Mining Industry Consultants; O’Connor, Western Australia (April, 2004)

Results

Geostats – GBMS304-4- Multi Element

Method:

0.25g

20mL reverse Aqua Regia + 3 mL HF digested at 80% for 20 minutes, add 20mL of 4% Boric Acid – and digest again at 80% for another 10 mins

Element

Geostats Certified

4-acid Value (ppm)

95% Confidence Limits

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Average (ppm)

Stdev

% RSD

% Recovery vs certified 4-acid value

Low

High

Ag

3.4

3.3

3.5

3.03

3.15

3.58

3.25

0.24

7.3%

96%

As

535

527.6

542.4

533

553

560

548

11.39

2.1%

103%

Co

350

346

354

355

360

370

362

6.14

1.7%

103%

Cu

9786

9731.8

9840.2

9806

9989

10187

9994

155.42

1.6%

102%

Pb

271

268.4

273.6

320

319

324

321

2.07

0.6%

118%

Ni

732

724.7

739.3

792

782

762

779

12.47

1.6%

106%

S

62700

62200

63200

61348

61222

62724

61765

680.22

1.1%

99%

Zn

149

147

151

146

147

149

147

1.25

0.8%

99%

Click here to download the Application Note in PDF format.

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