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SGS North America Inc

  • 201 Route 17 North
  • Rutherford, New Jersey, 07070
  • United States
  • t   +1 201 508 3000
  • f   +1 201 508 3183
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Multi-Acid (4-Acid) Digestions

Through our global network of laboratories, SGS delivers a broad spectrum of geochemical analysis including multi-acid (4 acid) digests.

Multi-acid digestion uses a combination of HCl (hydrochloric acid), HNO3 (nitric acid), HF (hydrofluoric acid) and HClO4 (perchloric acid). Because hydrofluoric acid dissolves silicate minerals, these digestions are often referred to as 'near-total digestions'.

Multi-acid (4 acid) digestion is a very effective dissolution procedure for multi-element analysis at trace levels of detection. However, there can be a loss of volatile elements (e.g. B, As, Pb, Ge, Sb) during this type of digestion and some refractory minerals (especially oxide minerals) are only partially digested. Our experts will help you select a method that is fit-for-purpose.

ICP40B - 32 Elements by Four-Acid Digestion / ICP-AES

LIMITSLIMITSLIMITS
Ag 2ppm - 10ppm Fe 0.01% - 15% Sb 5ppm - 1%
Al 0.01% - 15% K 0.01% - 15% Sc 0.5ppm - 1%
As 3ppm - 1% La 0.5ppm - 1% Sn 10ppm - 1%
Ba 1ppm - 1% Li 1ppm - 1% Sr 0.5ppm - 1%
Be 0.5ppm - 0.25% Mg 0.01% - 15% Ti 0.01% - 15%
Bi 5ppm - 1% Mn 2ppm - 1% V 2ppm - 1%
Ca 0.01% - 15% Mo 1ppm - 1% W 10ppm - 1%
Cd 1ppm - 1% Na 0.01% - 15% Y 0.5ppm - 1%
Cr 1ppm - 1% Ni 1ppm - 1% Zn 1ppm - 1%
Co 1ppm - 1% P 0.01% - 15% Zr 0.5ppm - 1%
Cu 0.5ppm - 1% Pb 2ppm - 1%

The following elements can be added to above package:
Ce, Hf, Nb, Rb, Se, Te, Th, U

Elements Which Can Volatilize

As Si Se

Elements Which Can Precipitate Or Have Limited Solubility

Al Mn Ti
Ba Nb Ta
Cr Pb W
Hf Sb Zr
Mo Sn

ICM40B - 49 Elements by Four-Acid Digestion / ICP-AES and ICP-MS

LIMITSLIMITSLIMITS
Ag 0.02ppm - 10ppm K 0.01% - 15% Sn 0.3ppm - 0.1%
Al 0.01% - 15% La 0.1ppm - 1% Sr 0.5ppm - 1%
As 1ppm - 1% Li 1ppm - 1% Ta 0.05ppm - 1%
Ba 1ppm - 1% Lu 0.01ppm - 0.1% Tb 0.05ppm - 1%
Be 0.1ppm - 0.25% Mg 0.01% - 15% Te 0.05ppm - 0.1%
Bi 0.04ppm - 1% Mn 2ppm - 1% Th 0.2ppm - 1%
Ca 0.01% - 15% Mo 0.05ppm - 1% Ti 0.01% - 15%
Cd 0.02ppm - 1% Na 0.01% - 15% Tl 0.02ppm - 1%
Ce 0.05ppm - 0.1% Nb 0.1ppm - 0.1% U 0.05ppm - 1%
Cs 5ppm - 0.1% Ni 0.5ppm - 1% V 2ppm - 1%
Cr 1ppm - 1% P 50ppm - 15% W 0.1ppm - 1%
Co 0.1ppm - 1% Pb 0.5ppm - 1% Y 0.1ppm - 1%
Cu 0.5ppm - 1% Rb 0.2ppm - 1% Yb 0.1ppm - 0.1%
Fe 0.01% - 15% S 0.01% - 5% Zn 1ppm - 1%
Ga 0.1ppm - 0.05% Sb 0.05ppm - 1% Zr 0.5ppm - 1%
Hf 0.02ppm - 0.05% Sc 0.5ppm - 1%
In 0.02ppm - 0.05% Se 2ppm - 0.1%

The following elements can be added to the above package:
Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, Nd, Pr, Sm

HAS40B - Hydride Elements by Four-Acid Digestion / Hydride AAS

LIMITS
Selenium Se 0.2ppm - 1000ppm
Tellurium Te 0.5ppm - 1000ppm

AAS42S - Four-Acid, (Hydrofluoric, Perchloric, Hydrochloric and Nitric Acid) Dissolution to Quantify Major Element Concentrations. AAS Finish

LIMITSLIMITSLIMITS
Ag 5ppm - 500ppm Cr 50ppm - 5% Pb 20ppm - 2.5%
As 0.025% - 5% Cu 10ppm - 50% Sb 100ppm - 2%
Bi 50ppm - 5000ppm Fe 0.01% - 40% V 50ppm - 5%
Ca 0.01% - 40% Mn 10ppm - 5% Zn 10ppm - 5%
Cd 5ppm - 5000ppm Mo 20ppm - 5%
Co 20ppm - 2.5% Ni 10ppm - 5%

ICP42S - Four-Acid, (Hydrofluoric, Perchloric, Hydrochloric and Nitric Acid) Dissolution to Quantify Major Element Concentrations. ICP-AES Finish

LIMITSLIMITSLIMITS
Ag 5ppm - 250ppm Fe 250ppm - 100% Pb 25ppm - 2.5%
AI 250ppm - 40% K 0.1% - 40% Sb 10ppm - 2%
As 20ppm - 2.5% Li 5ppm - 2500ppm Sn 20ppm - 2%
Bi 50ppm - 2.5% Mg 50ppm - 40% Ta 50ppm - 2.5%
Ca 0.01% - 40% Mn 20ppm - 10% Ti 20ppm - 5%
Cd 5ppm - 2% Mo 20ppm - 2.5% V 5ppm - 2.5%
Co 10ppm - 2.5% Na 100ppm - 40% Zn 10ppm - 5%
Cr 20ppm - 5% Ni 20ppm - 2.5% Zr 10ppm - 5%
Cu 10ppm - 2.5% P 0.01% - 25%

AAS43B - Four-Acid (Hydrofluoric, Perchloric, Hydrochloric and Nitric Acid) with Higher Elemental Concentrations. AAS Finish

LIMITSLIMITSLIMITS
Ag 50ppm - 4% Cr 0.03% - 40% Mo 0.02% - 40%
Al 0.1% - 100% Cu 0.01% - 100% Na 0.01% - 50%
As 0.02% - 40% Fe 0.02% - 100% Ni 0.01% - 50%
Bi 0.05% - 4% K 0.01% - 50% Pb 0.01% - 40%
Ca 0.01% - 50% Mg 0.01% - 50% Sb 0.05% - 10%
Cd 50ppm - 4% Mn 0.01% - 40% Zn 0.01% - 100%
Co 0.01% - 2.5%

SGS has a unique depth and breadth of expertise and experience to help guide your analytical method selection and give you confidence in your analytical results. Call us today to discover more.

Multi-Acid (4-Acid) digestions in the USA

The service in which you are interested is not currently available in the USA. However, SGS has an extensive network of laboratories in Canada, ranging from our Centers of Excellence in Toronto and Lakefield, to our regional service labs in Vancouver, Red Lake and Cochrane and our sample preparation and on-site mine labs in Sudbury and the Yukon.  We bring you over 50 years of experience in: 

• Fire assay by lead and nickel preconcentration
• MMITM (Mobile Metal Ion) analysis (Toronto only)
• Multi-element ICP-AES and ICP-MS analysis preceded by various digestion techniques
• X-ray fluorescence
• Environmental analysis
• Ore and commercial assays

Contact us to find out more.

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SGS North America Inc

  • 201 Route 17 North
  • Rutherford, New Jersey, 07070
  • United States
  • t   +1 201 508 3000
  • f   +1 201 508 3183
  • e   Email Us

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