Iron Ore Analysis

 Samples up to 3 kilograms are prepared by drying and crushing (if required) , followed by total pulverisation to 90% passing 100µm for ores containing more than 2.5% combined water, or to 160µm for non-hygroscopic ores. The resultant sample pulps are fused in a Bradway electric rocking furnace and cast into 40mm diameter beads using 12:22 flux containing 5% sodium nitrate.

The fusion beads are measured on a Philips PW-2404 XRF equipped with an end window 4KW Rhodium X-Ray tube. Matrix corrections are applied using calculated Alpha corrections for this combination of flux, tube and instrument geometry.

Catch weights are used for both the sample weight and the flux weight. The sample portion is dried at 105ºC for a minimum of 12 hours for hygroscopic ores, or one hour for non-hygoscopic ores.

Internationally Certified Reference Materials and reference materials of the same ore type, if available, are fused with each batch and treated the same way as the samples. The results of these can be reported if required.

Loss on Ignition is performed on a separate pre-dried portion of the sample in electric furnaces set to the client's requested ignition temperature.

Ferrous Iron can be determined using a volumetric titration method.

Available Analytes and Detection Limits (Method Code : XRF203)

Fe	0.01%	Al2O3	0.01%
SiO2	0.01%	MnO	0.01%
K2O	0.01% or 0.001%	CaO	0.01%
MgO	0.01%	TiO2	0.01%
P	0.001%	S	0.001%
BaO	0.01%	V2O5	0.01%
Co	0.001%	Cr	0.001%
Cu	0.001%	Ni	0.001%
Pb	0.001%	Zn	0.001%

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