Coating Quality of Catalysts

HIGH QUALITY CHEMICAL DETERMINATIONS ON AUTOCATALYSTS

RELIABLE CHEMICAL DATA SAVES MONEY
Whether you are buying or selling, small variations in “measured” amounts of platinum, palladium and rhodium can have a large impact financially.

QUANTIFY “RELIABLE”
ISO-standard procedures objectively monitor precision, accuracy and relative standard deviation using reference materials and duplicate samples. SGS Minerals lab in Lakefield routinely analyses catalyst materials and provides high precision data with RSDs between 0.7-1.5% (1 sigma). Accuracies typically exceed 1%

WHY SGS?
The SGS Minerals lab in Lakefield has been producing bankable data for the metals and metallurgy business for over 60 years. Since 1994, we have been accredited at ISO/IEC 17025 (the international standards for laboratories) for a large scope of testing outlined at www.sgslakefield.com. Independence, impartiality and expertise are the tenets of our business.

SGS USES STANDARD METHODS TO ANALYSE CATALYSTS
PGE - Fire assay followed by various instrumental techniques (inductively coupled plasma - optical emission, ICP-mass spec or atomic absorption). Ce, La, Ba, Ni, Zr and Al - Borate fusion – X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF).

PLATINUM, PALLADIUM AND RHODIUM
Fire assay- ICP-OES, - ICP-MS or - AA
Fire-assay – ICP-OES is an industry-standard method for determining Pt, Pd and Rh. The sample is ground, subsampled and fused in a NiS button. A second button scavenged from the slag is also analyzed to ensure full recovery. The buttons are pulverized and dissolved in acid and the PGE-bearing residue filtered. This residue is dissolved and measured by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission, ICP-mass spec or atomic absorption.

Precision
Reputable labs analyze control materials to monitor their performance. Ideally, such reference materials will span both the concentration range and the expected sample types.

These control charts show the high precision that SGS lab in Lakefield routinely achieves on PGE in catalysts. RSD are tight (1 sigma 0.7-1.4% on 13 data-sets from 50 to 12000 ppm).

Data for the other PGE are available for each material on request.

RARE EARTH ELEMENT, BASE METAL AND COMPONENT OXIDES
Borate fusion – X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF)

The sample is pre-dried to a specified temperature and sampled. It is added to 7g of Li tetraborate /metaborate flux and fused, then cast and cooled. Measurement is by XRF. Loss on ignition is determined separately by roasting 1g of sample for 1 hour to correct for fusion losses.

Precision
Reputable labs analyze control materials to monitor their performance. Ideally, such reference materials will span both the concentration range and the expected sample types.

These control charts show the high precision that Lakefield routinely achieves on catalyst materials. RSD are tight (1 sigma 1.0-3.4% on 16 data-sets).

Accuracy / Bias
PGE determinations on certified reference materials (tabulated above) show no bias at the 95% confidence level.

Summary
SGS's laboratory in Lakefield generates high quality analytical data on catalysts. Proof we deliver…our detailed statistical databases for PGE and other critical elements.If small variations in your analytical determinations impact critically on your financial performance, consider partnering with SGS.