The laboratory has facilities available for lead collection (for the determination of Au, Pt, Pd), Palladium collection (for the determination of Au, Pt and Rh), nickel sulphide collection (for the determination of Au, Ir, Pt, Pd, Rh and Ru), gravimetric Au and total PGMs plus Au.
The laboratory is equipped with two state of the art simultaneous ICP OES. These instruments can be used to analyse major, minor and trace elements. The ICPs are regularly used for the determination of a wide variety of elements in both solid and solution samples.
Methods can be setup according to customer requirements.
Despite the introduction of ICP-OEs the AA has still managed to prove its worth in laboratories. AA is preferred when only single element analysis is required or as a check technique.
The laboratory is equipped with a compact desk-top energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer. This instrument performs a non-destructive analyses for a wide range of elements ranging from ppm to % levels.
The mastersizer measures the size of particles ranging from 0.05 to 556 microns.
Classical or wet chemical methods are set up depending on customer needs.
Certified Reference Materials and/or in house controls blanks and duplicates are analysed with each batch of samples. These results are reported along with the sample values if requested by the customer. In recognition of the need to ensure international standards are maintained in the laboratory, the Analytical Services Department is a SANAS accredited testing laboratory since 2010. The Analytical Service Department is accredited for the “Preparation of 555 Liquor Effluent composites and the subsequent analysis of Au, Pd, Pt, Rh and Ru.