Fusion methods, where the sample is melted at high temperatures with a flux, is necessary to break down all minerals in a sample. This is important when elements of interest are hosted in acid resistant minerals such as zircon, sphene, barite cassiterite, rutile, REE oxides, and chromite. If a mineral is not fully decomposed elements of interested hosted in resistant minerals will be affected. When exploring for elements that commonly occur in resistant minerals a fusion decomposition will ensure the total concentration of the element is determined rather than only the acid soluble portion. Different flux types may be more effective for different geological matrices.
Lithium borate fusion with ICP-MS measurement provides full decomposition of samples including the most resistant minerals. This method uses a lithium borate flux thus, neither Li nor B can be determined by these methods. Lithium borate is not recommended for sample matrices with high sulphide content as it is unable to effectively oxidise this sample type.
These methods involve mixing lithium borate flux with a sample and melting at >1,000°C. The melt is cooled then dissolved in a multi-acid solution that includes hydrofluoric acid. The solution is then measured via ICP-MS to determine either a multi-element suite with ME-MS81TM or for individual elements in ME-MS85TM.
Code | Analytes & Ranges (ppm) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ME-MS81™ 2g sample |
Ba | 0.5-10,000 | Hf | 0.1-10,000 | Sn | 1-10,000 | Y | 0.1-10,000 |
Ce | 0.1-10,000 | Ho | 0.01-1,000 | Sr | 0.1-10,000 | Yb | 0.03-1,000 | |
Cr | 10-10,000 | La | 0.1-10,000 | Ta | 0.1-2,500 | Zr | 2-10,000 | |
Cs | 0.01-10,000 | Lu | 0.01-1,000 | Tb | 0.01-1,000 | |||
Dy | 0.05-1,000 | Nb | 0.1-2,500 | Th | 0.05-1,000 | |||
Er | 0.03-1,000 | Nd | 0.1-10,000 | Tm | 0.01-1,000 | |||
Eu | 0.02-1,000 | Pr | 0.02-1,000 | U | 0.05-1,000 | |||
Ga | 0.1-1,000 | Rb | 0.2-10,000 | V | 5-10,000 | |||
Gd | 0.05-1,000 | Sm | 0.03-1,000 | W | 1-10,000 |
Code | Analytes & Ranges (ppm) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ME-MS85™ 0.1g sample |
Ce | 0.1-10,000 | Rb | 0.2-10,000 | Ta | 0.1-2,500 | W | 1-10,000 |
La | 0.1-10,000 | Sn | 1-10,000 | Th | 0.05-1,000 | Y | 0.1-10,000 | |
Nb | 0.1-2,500 | Sr | 0.1-10,000 | U | 0.05-1,000 | Zr | 2-10,000 |
Notes: For high grade range request ME-MS85h.
Sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-MS measurement allows for the complete analysis of samples with resistant minerals. This fusion is ideal when Li and/or B values are required, or for samples that contain a significant proportion of sulphides (> 4%).
Multiple methods are offered that utilise a sodium peroxide flux for fusion. The methods offer measurement at super-trace levels (ME-MS89L™) and ore grade (ME-ICP81).
Code | Analytes & Ranges (ppm) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ME-MS89L™ 0.2g sample *B-MS89L |
Ag | 5-12,500 | Eu | 0.03-25,000 | Nb | 0.8-25,000 | Te | 0.5-25,000 |
As | 4-25,000 | Fe | 0.05%-25% | Nd | 0.07-25,000 | Th | 0.1-25,000 | |
B* | 8-25,000 | Ga | 0.5-25,000 | Ni | 10-25,000 | Ti | 0.005%-25% | |
Ba | 2-25,000 | Gd | 0.03-25,000 | Pb | 0.5-25,000 | Tl | 0.02-25,000 | |
Be | 0.4-25,000 | Ge | 0.5-25,000 | Pr | 0.03-25,000 | Tm | 0.01-25,000 | |
Bi | 0.1-25,000 | Ho | 0.01-25,000 | Rb | 0.5-25,000 | U | 0.2-25,000 | |
Ca | 0.1%-25% | In | 0.3-25,000 | Re | 0.01-25,000 | V | 1-25,000 | |
Cd | 0.8-25,000 | K | 0.05%-25% | Sb | 0.3-25,000 | W | 0.3-25,000 | |
Ce | 0.2-25,000 | La | 0.08-25,000 | Se | 3-25,000 | Y | 0.2-25,000 | |
Co | 0.5-25,000 | Li | 2-25,000 | Sm | 0.04-25,000 | Yb | 0.02-25,000 | |
Cs | 0.1-25,000 | Lu | 0.05-25,000 | Sn | 3-25,000 | Zn | 10-25,000 | |
Cu | 20-25,000 | Mg | 0.01%-30% | Sr | 20-25,000 | |||
Dy | 0.03-25,000 | Mn | 10-25,000 | Ta | 0.04-25,000 | |||
Er | 0.02-25,000 | Mo | 2-25,000 | Tb | 0.01-25,000 |
*B-MS89L - Glassless digestion and analysis to eliminate boron from labware.
Code | Analytes & Ranges (%) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ME-ICP81 0.2g sample |
Al | 0.01-50 | Cr | 0.01-30 | Mg | 0.01-30 | S | 0.01-60 |
As | 0.01-10 | Cu | 0.002-30 | Mn | 0.01-50 | Si | 0.1-50 | |
Ca | 0.05-50 | Fe | 0.05-70 | Ni | 0.002-30 | Ti | 0.01-30 | |
Co | 0.002-30 | K | 0.1-30 | Pb | 0.01-30 | Zn | 0.002-30 |
Samples that contain appreciable amounts of sulphide minerals (generally >4%) are ideally decomposed with an oxidising agent thus sodium peroxide is recommended.
Les méthodes de caractérisation des roches comprennent les méthodes de fusion pour l’analyse des principaux éléments formant des roches et/ou des éléments-traces.
PLUS D’INFORMATIONSCertaines marchandises sont hébergées dans des minéraux qui peuvent être résistants aux attaques acides. L’analyse de ces marchandises nécessite une fusion pour identifier le plein potentiel économique des échantillons.
PLUS D’INFORMATIONS