Noble-metals-bearing nickel-copper matte PTM: its characterization and preparation for use as a standard reference material

Abstract

The Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project (CCRMP), formerly called the Canadian Standard Reference Materials Project (CSRMP), is an activity of the Mines Branch designed to prepare and distribute a range of materials of certified analysed content of various elements, to be used in Canada and elsewhere in the evaluation and monitoring of analytical methods and for the calibration of analytical instruments. These materials have included metals, alloys, rocks, ores, minerals, concentrates, etc. The present report deals with a nickel-copper matte, designated PTM, that contains certified amounts of various precious metals. This report presents values for platinum, palladium, rhodium, gold and silver in a nickel-copper matte (PTM) produced from the Sudbury ore of Ontario. It also reports the results of several analysis on iridium, ruthenium and osmium for information only. The values for platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold supersede those given in 1971 (1), as a result of further analytical values being received from participants in the "roundrobin" analytical program organized under the predecessors to the present Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project formally established in 1973. The values for the contents of these elements, in oz./ton are as follows: platinum 0.17, palladium 0.24, rhodium 0.026, gold 0.052 and silver 1. 9. The sample preparation and characterization of reference material PTM and a statistical evaluation of the analytical values are described in this report. The reference material is now available from the Chairman of the Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project (CCRMP), Mineral Sciences Division, Mines Branch, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, 555 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario KlA OG1.