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Techniques for CollectorsRE: EDS and inclusions

1st Sep 2015 20:36 UTCKyle Beucke 🌟

I have had several samples of copper sulfosalt (enargite and possible tetrahedrite/tennantite) analyzed, both with EDS and with acid digestion and AAS. Although these samples assayed high in silver (in the 100-300 opt range) with acid digestion, EDS failed to detect a silver peak. I understand that EDS is an analysis of a small spot, and if the silver is in the form of tiny inclusions of Ag minerals, EDS could miss it.


Any comments on the effective area "scanned" by EDS and how common it is to not detect silver in copper sulfosalts that are nonetheless known to host silver (e.g., as inclusions)?


Thank you,


Kyle

1st Sep 2015 21:00 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Depending how the EDS is done, how the sample is prepared, and how good the machine is, 100 to 300 opt might just be lost in the background noise, as it's less than 1%.

1st Sep 2015 21:12 UTCChristian Auer 🌟 Expert

Any result under 1% with SEM-EDS isn`t serious, fine is 2-3%.

If you need such results you need other analytic methods not EDS.
 
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