Advanced Technologies for Analyzing Precious Metals

Advanced technologies for analyzing precious metals and identifying elements and alloys

When it comes to assessing the value of gold, silver, and other precious metals, both buyers and sellers need to determine authenticity.  The technologies used by lab workers, jewelers, pawn brokers, and numismatists to analyze content play a crucial role in that determination. We are dedicated to remaining your trusted industry partner in developing and applying technologies that help ensure accurate elemental identification, whether it’s jewelry, coins, scrap metal, or samples in the sub-millimeter size range.

Optical emission spectrometry (OES)

Optical emission spectrometry is a tried-and-tested analytical technique that is widely used to measure the elemental composition of metals and alloys. It is often referred to as spark OES, as electrical sparks are used to ablate surface material from metal samples so that it can produce characteristic optical emissions.

 

The ablated material is excited in the argon plasma generated by the sparks and a corresponding light in the UV-visible range is emitted. The emitted wavelengths are characteristic of each element, and their intensity is proportional to the element’s concentration in the sample. The light emitted is directed towards the optical system. The main component of the system, the diffraction grating, separates the polychromatic light into its monochromatic constituents by dispersion over a certain wavelength range. The photons of the wavelengths of interest are usually detected with PMTs (Photo-Multiplier Tubes) and transformed into electrical signals. Alternatively, the full spectrum or part of it may be collected with CCD detectors.

Thermo Scientific OES analyzers offer improvements in sensitivity, precision, accuracy, sample analysis time, memory effects, and maintenance operations and are usually found in laboratory environments. In addition to this, simultaneously to the elemental composition the Thermo Scientific ARL iSpark Plus Series OES Metal Analyzer can determine nonmetallic inclusions.

Thermo Scientific ARL iSpark Plus Series OES Metal Analyzer

From routine elemental analysis to metals R&D, the ARL iSpark Plus Series OES Metal Analyzer provides the solution sought by primary metals producers, foundries, fabricators in the automotive, aviation and appliance industries, contract laboratories, and recyclers. Adapted to the harshest environments, ARL iSpark Plus Analyzer offers a high degree of functionality and features to achieve productivity and quality objectives. ARL iSpark Plus Analyzer adds to the stability, availability, and speed of analyses, enabling production of more heats and a faster return on investment.

Thermo Scientific ARL iSpark Plus Fire Assay Analyzer

Traditional fire assay analysis is labor-intensive, expensive and environmentally harmful. The ARL iSpark Plus Fire Assay Analyzer offers a simple, clean alternative to the traditional cupellation and analysis stages by using spark OES to determine precious metals concentrations directly in lead buttons. Achieve simultaneous quantitative determination of the content of all precious metals in fire assay lead buttons in less than a minute. The ARL iSpark Plus Fire Assay Analyzer is a top-of-the-range spark optical emission spectrometer specially tuned for the analysis of lead buttons.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF, EDXRF, WDXRF)

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is a nondestructive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials. XRF analyzers work by measuring the fluorescent (or secondary) X-rays emitted from a sample getting irradiated by a primary X-ray source. Each of the elements present in a sample produces a set of characteristic fluorescent X-rays, like a fingerprint.  These fingerprints are distinct for each element, making XRF spectroscopy an excellent tool not only for qualitative analysis but also for quantitative measurements when processing the intensity of the emitted lines. 

A convenient front-end analysis tool, EDXRF (energy-dispersive XRF) enables quick and easy analysis of even irregular samples with little-to-no sample preparation. WDXRF (wavelength-dispersive XRF), meanwhile, is the standard test method for a wide range of applications due to its outstanding sensitivity and high resolution.

Thermo Scientific Niton DXL Precious Metal Analyzer

Be sure of the value of the precious metals you buy and sell with a fast, simple nondestructive solution for gold analysis. Designed specifically for countertop use in retail environments, the Niton DXL Precious Metal Analyzer, with Thermo Scientific AuDIT gold-plating detection technology, delivers fast, reliable results for gold testing and metal analysis with just the push of a button.

Thermo Scientific Niton XL2 XRF Precious Metal Analyzer

With the volatility and high price of gold, failing to detect just a small variation in composition can be an expensive mistake. The Niton XL2 XRF Precious Metal Analyzer equipped with AuDIT gold-plating detection technology provides a fast, accurate, and most importantly, nondestructive method to test the purity and chemistry of all precious metals. It gives you the exact elemental composition of jewelry and coins so you can be certain of the value of the precious metals you buy and sell.

Thermo Scientific Niton XL5 Plus Handheld XRF Analyzer

Confidently perform elemental analysis with the Niton XL5 Plus Handheld XRF Analyzer; it delivers unprecedented performance even for lightweight elements. Identify pure metals and alloys, detect tramp elements, or obtain geochemical data. Industrial businesses rely on the Niton XL5 Plus analyzer for its low detection limits, great versatility, and the ability to scan a broad range of materials, including precious metals, with a single analyzer.

Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t GOLDD+ XRF Analyzer

Industries from mining and exploration to scrap metal recycling and refineries depend on fast, accurate elemental analysis. The Niton XL3t GOLDD+ XRF Analyzer provides reliable, real-time data for sample identification and positive material identification for even difficult-to-analyze light elements, without helium purging or vacuum pumps. It can detect light elements such as magnesium, aluminum, or silicon and has increased sensitivity to detect low levels of platinum group metals (PGMs) such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh).

Thermo Scientific ARL QUANT'X EDXRF Spectrometer

The ARL QUANT'X EDXRF Spectrometer provides major, minor, and trace element quantification across the broadest range of samples, including bulk solids, granules, loose, or pressed powders, fused beads, thin films, pastes, and liquids. This complete benchtop EDXRF system meets the elemental analysis needs of central and contract laboratories, academic institutions as well as the metals industries.

Thermo Scientific ARL PERFORM’X WDXRF Spectrometer

Solve analytical challenges in a wide range of metallurgy applications with one comprehensive tool. The ARL PERFORM'X Sequential X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer for advanced materials characterization, integrates bulk elemental analysis with mapping and small spot analysis to create a solution that evaluates up to 90 elements in nearly any solid or liquid sample.

AuDIT (Au/gold Detection & Identification Technology)

Niton DXL and Niton XL2 precious metal analyzers are equipped with proprietary AuDIT gold-plating detection technology. Several independent, complementary algorithms in the AuDIT  software work in tandem to alert you to the probability that an item is plated, regardless of the gold concentration of the surface layer. 

 

AuDIT software alerts you when gold plating of up to 8µm is detected or suspected, warns you on low karat and non-standard karat measurement, and identifies the presence of nickel (Ni) generally used underneath gold plating. While limited to the thickness of gold typically used in jewelry and industry to plate items, the AuDIT technology detects plating for any non-gold substrate such as Vermeil (gold-plated silver), copper alloys, steel, tungsten, etc.

Thermo Scientific Niton DXL Precious Metal XRF Analyzer

Be sure of the value of the precious metals you buy and sell with a fast, simple nondestructive solution for gold analysis. Designed specifically for countertop use in retail environments, the Niton DXL analyzer, with AuDIT gold-plating detection technology, delivers fast, reliable results for gold testing and metal analysis with just the push of a button.

Thermo Scientific Niton XL2 XRF Precious Metal Analyzer

With the volatility and high price of gold, failing to detect just a small variation in composition can be an expensive mistake. The Niton XL2 XRF Precious Metal Analyzer equipped with AuDIT gold-plating detection technology provides a fast, accurate, and most importantly, nondestructive method to test the purity and chemistry of all precious metals. It gives you the exact elemental composition of jewelry and coins so you can be certain of the value of the precious metals you buy and sell.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.