Preparation and certification of high-grade gold geochemical reference material

• Published in: Accreditation and quality assurance 2006-07, Vol.11 (7), p.329-335
• Main Authors: BALARAM, V, PATIL, M. L, RAMESH, S. L, SANGURMATH, P, ANJAIAH, K. V, DASARAM, B, SAXENA, R. K, BEGUM, Zahida, AGRAWAL, A. K, SUBBA RAO, D. V, CHARAN, S. N, SATYANARAYANAN, M, MATHUR, Ramavati, KAPILAVASTU, K, SARMA, D. S, SANKARA GOWDA, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Analytical chemistry; Chemistry; Collaboration; Exact sciences and technology; Geochemistry; Geology; Gold mines & mining; Gold ores; Laboratories; Lithology; Mines; Quartz; Rare earth elements; Reference materials; Trace elements
• ISSN: 0949-1775; 1432-0517
• DOI: 10.1007/s00769-006-0179-8

One high-grade gold geochemical reference material-BND 3401.01 has been prepared by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad in collaboration with the Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited (HGML), Hutti and National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi, in India. The sample is a sheared gold-sulphide-bearing quartz vein emplaced in a sheared acid volcanic rock that was collected at the 2400-foot level from the middle reef of Hutti deposit located in the north-western periphery of the late-Archaean Hutti-Maski greenstone belt, Karnataka, India. Fifteen institutions in India, Canada, China and Tanzania having experience in geochemical analysis had participated in this collaborative analysis programme. The sample was extensively characterized for its major, minor, trace and ultra-trace element composition by using a variety of analytical techniques. Usable values were provided for major, minor and several trace elements including all rare earth elements (REE). The certified value for the gold concentration in BND 3401.01 gold ore is 12.1±0.7 mg/kg.