Mineral Sands

 Mineral Sands containing Ilmenite, Rutile, and admixtures of Ilmenite, Rutile and Zircon are first pulverised using Tungsten Carbide grinding vessels, then assayed using the cast fusion method as per Australian Standard AS 4392.1 . If Uranium or Thorium levels are required, the sample weight is increased (keeping a constant sample to flux ratio) to produce an infinitely thick fusion bead. The fusion beads are then measured on a Philips PW-2404 X-Ray Flourecence Spectrometer equipped with a 4KW end window Rhodium X-Ray tube. This method utilises 12:22 flux and the calibration can measure Zr up to approximately 30% ZrO2 .

When higher levels of Zircon are present, the same preparation is carried out using Norrish flux. (Lanthanum is not measured due to the presence of 10% La2O3 in this flux.)

Note: Because XRF measures individual elements, Zr is reported as ZrO2, not ZrO2 + HfO2.

12:22 Flux Detection Limits (Method Code : XRF202)

TiO2	0.01%	Fe2O3	0.01%	Al2O3	0.01%	SiO2	0.01%
ZrO2	0.01%	MnO	0.01%	V2O5	0.01%	Nb2O5	0.01%
CaO	0.01%	Cr2O3	0.001%	MgO	0.01%	SO3	0.001%
CeO2	0.001%	P2O5	0.001%	La2O3	0.001%	Th	0.001%
U	0.001%	SnO2	0.001%	As2O3	0.001%	PbO	0.001%

 

Norrish Flux Detection Limits (Method Code : XRF204)

TiO2	0.01%	Fe2O3	0.01%	Al2O3	0.01%	SiO2	0.01%
ZrO2	0.01%	HfO2	0.01%	MnO	0.01%	CaO	0.01%
MgO	0.01%	SO3	0.001%	CeO2	0.001%	P2O5	0.001%
ThO2	0.001%	U3O8	0.001%	As2O3	0.001%	PbO	0.001%

---