An optimized on-line preconcentration system for analysis of trace gold in ore samples

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Accurate determination of gold in geological samples is crucial for mining and environmental monitoring.
• Traditional methods for gold analysis can be time-consuming and require large sample volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive and efficient on-line preconcentration technique for gold determination in ore samples.
• To optimize the flow injection manifold using the Scaled Simplex Method for improved analytical performance.

Main Methods:

• Flow injection on-line preconcentration using a microcolumn packed with alpha-amino pyridine (AP) resin.
• Gold elution was performed using a 90% acetone-5% HCl-5% H(2)O solution.
• Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was utilized for gold detection.

Main Results:

• A detection limit of 0.065 µg Au/L (3σ) was achieved.
• A relative standard deviation of 4.3% demonstrated good precision.
• The method was successfully applied to the analysis of real ore samples.

Conclusions:

• The proposed flow injection on-line preconcentration technique combined with GFAAS offers a sensitive and reliable method for gold determination in ore samples.
• The optimization using the Scaled Simplex Method efficiently improved the analytical performance by considering multiple responses simultaneously.
• This approach provides a valuable tool for the accurate and efficient analysis of gold in geological matrices.