Evaluating precious metal content in the processing of scrap materials
US6165248A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 26, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/20
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for evaluating a batch of scrap material, subsequent to processing of the batch, to determine the content of precious metal present in the batch prior to processing of the batch, includes introducing a predetermined amount of a tracer into the batch, prior to processing, processing the batch and the tracer into a homogenous mixture, assaying a sample portion of the homogenous mixture to assess the amount of tracer in the sample portion, and to assess the amount of precious metal in the sample portion, and ascertaining the content of the precious metal in the batch prior to processing of the batch by applying to the assayed amount of the precious metal a ratio between the predetermined amount of tracer introduced into the batch prior to processing and the assessed amount of tracer in the sample portion. Where the precious metal includes gold, silver, platinum, palladium or rhodium, a tracer includes one or more of the metals bismuth, antimony, lead, cadmium, tellurium, barium, cobalt, nickel, hafnium and selenium.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.