GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF FINLAND
APPENDIX 1, D4
1 (2)
6.10.2015
E/349/251/2015
PRECIOUS METAL FIRE ASSAY ANALYSES OF THE SOLID POWDER SAMPLES
The following requirements are defined for Fire Assay method for solid powder samples of ore and test
products used mainly for operating the research activities. GTK will collect samples from bench and pilot
scale tests to be chemically analyzed. Samples will be process feeds, final products of the tests
(concentrates, tailings), middlings (cleaner concentrates, cleaner tailings) or other process streams. GTK
will filter and dry the samples. The producer of the analysis will fine grind (if needed) and chemically
analyze the samples. The samples for analysis are provided usually as ground samples in sample size of
5-60 g. The tenderer must be able to carry out the sample preparation to process the provided sample
suitable for analysis including for example grinding if the sample is provided too coarse.
Table 1 provides the list of elements required and the practical detection limits that must be reached.
The requirements can be full filled either using gravimetric and/or combination of gravimetric and wet
chemistry method.
Table 1. List of elements to be determined with required detection limits (DL) and fields to be filled in.
Element
Required
DL
ppm
Pb-Fire Assay gravimetric
Au
2
Ag
5
Pb-Fire Assay + AAS
Au
0,02
Ag
0,02
Pd
0,02
Pt
0,02
Can be
analysed
(Y/N)
DL of the
laboratory
Measurement
(gravimetric, FAAS,
GFAAS)