SAMPLING , ANALYSIS AND LAB ASSAY
Instruments Sample Preparation range in early 2024 , Block10 has embarked on an ambitious redesign , updating the crusher , mill and press equipment to meet the evolving and growing interest for small , portable , field-deployable analysis solutions in the mining and exploration industries , it says .
The company recently outlined the features and benefits of this expanding product range , presenting replication experiments performance evaluation and other test work to highlight the high precision , low bias , highly effective and safe operating potential of Block10 preparation equipment for portable XRF ( pXRF ) and other analytical modes .
In terms of optimal sample presentation for multi-element analysis , Block10 recommends crushing to < 2 mm in the BX-C Crusher ; dividing to 250 g , then 125 g in the BX-R Riffle Splitter ; milling to < 100 µ m in a BX-M Mill ; riffle splitting again to ( a nominal ) 62.5 g ; scooping 10 mL into a sample die ; and pressing the sample in the BX- P hydraulic sample press .
The samples may then be analysed with a pXRF instrument , or other techniques .
The new BX-C Crusher and BX-M Mill leverage the latest in motor and manufacturing advancements , according to Block10 , offering significant equipment weight and size reduction over the predecessors ( the REFLEXCrusher and REFLEX-Mill ), while improving safety and coming with optional customisation . The BX-P Sample Press ( the REFLEX-Press being its predecessor ) can be used with two different dies : the standard die produces circa-26-mm diameter pucks from the sample material only , and typically has sufficient integrity to allow analysis , but may chip around the edges or crack during excessive transportation , handling , storage , etc ; the premium die can provide longer-lasting pucks , the company says .
The BX-R Riffle Splitter , meanwhile , is a brandnew solution to complement the other three technologies and address the several sample division stages typically used when preparing samples with the rest of the Block10 product range .
Replication experiments and other comparative examples across gold , copper and iron ore samples have been carried out with this ‘ sampling flowsheet ’, with the company reporting : “ This inaugural performance evaluation , although based on a limited experimental layout , demonstrates encouragingly accurate , high-precision results for field sample preparation for multi-element pXRF analysis .”
Aiming for industry standard status detectORE™ , Portable PPB ’ s on-site gold assay technology , is helping explorers avoid ‘ the wait ' for results from the lab by enabling near realtime results and rapid adaption of drill and other geochemical programs , accelerating exploration
The updated Block10 BX-C Crusher and BX-M Mill
projects and new discoveries , according to the company .
The compact , portable system enables geologists to conduct assays on site anywhere and identify low level gold to < 20 parts per billion within 12 hours from a range of sample media , Portable PPB claims . It uses pXRF technology , non-hazardous , proprietary reagents and a collector device together with analysis software , developed in-house , to measure trace concentrations of gold in geological samples . The patented process enables gold detection by pXRF that was not previously possible , the company claims . detectORE is currently in use at more than 50 sites across 27 countries globally , with this list quickly growing .
The company explained : “ Early adopters of detectORE are realising its material benefits ,
FEBRUARY 2025 | International Mining 61