Metals

Precious Metals

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Precious metals include gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. These metals are prized for their rarity, excellent conductivity, resistance to corrosion, and aesthetic appeal. Each metal has distinct characteristics that make it suitable for specific applications, and their properties can be refined and enhanced through advanced technological processes to fit industries from electronics to jewelry.

The constant improvement and analysis of precious metals are essential to optimize their performance and extend their applications:

Elemental Analysis: Identifies the precise chemical composition of precious metals, ensuring the purity and detection of any alloying elements or impurities that may affect their properties.
Particle Analysis: Examines microstructural features, identifying any inclusions or defects that can impact the metal's performance and durability, especially in high-precision applications like electronics and medical devices.
Structural Analysis: Assesses mechanical properties such as hardness, ductility, and tensile strength. This analysis is vital for applications requiring high mechanical reliability, such as aerospace components.
Surface Analysis: Evaluates the metal's surface characteristics, including its resistance to tarnishing and corrosion. This is particularly important for jewelry and high-end electronics, where aesthetic quality and longevity are critical.

Resources

Precious metals application notes

While precious metals such as Au, Ag, Pt, and Pd are finite materials, they are essential for electronic components and functional materials. Therefore, it is important to separate and extract the necessary precious metals from the final products and recycle them as high-purity precious metals in order to secure resources and reduce costs. Impurities, which must be controlled, include light elements such as carbon, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. For example, Au (gold) used in electronic devices must be at least 99.999% pure.

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HORIBA Solutions

HORIBA provides advanced analytical instruments and solutions that significantly aid in the analysis of precious metals.

EMIA-Expert

Carbon/Sulfur Analyzer
(Flagship High-Accuracy Model)

EMGA-Expert

Oxygen/Nitrogen/Hydrogen Analyzer
(Flagship High-Accuracy Model)

GD-Profiler 2™

GD-Profiler 2™

Pulsed-RF Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometer

XGT-9000

X-ray Analytical Microscope (Micro-XRF)

Partica LA-960V2

Partica LA-960V2

Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer

nanoPartica SZ-100V2 Series

nanoPartica SZ-100V2 Series

Nanoparticle Analyzer

LabRAM Soleil

Raman Spectroscope - Automated Imaging Microscope

SignatureSPM

Scanning Probe Microscope with Chemical Signature

SA-9600 Series

BET Flowing Gas Surface Area Analyzers

EMIA-Pro

Carbon/Sulfur Analyzer (Entry Model)

EMGA-Pro

Oxygen/Nitrogen Analyzer (Entry Model)

PSA300*

Static Image Analysis System Particle Size

ViewSizer 3000

Simultaneous Multi-Laser Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA)

MESA-50

X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer

XploRA™ PLUS

MicroRaman Spectrometer - Confocal Raman Microscope

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