The sample preparation process is designed to produce a small, representative and homogeneous sub-sample from the material you submit to the laboratory. Many variations on these packages are available, and sample preparation schemes can also be readily customized to suit any particular project requirement. We have a wide range of expertise available within the SAEL to help you with any questions you might have about sample preparation. All sample preparation packages below include sample registration in the laboratory tracking system and weighing. Excessively wet samples may require additional drying for which additional charges may apply.

Drill Core, Rock, And Chip Samples

It is very helpful to advise us of mineralized samples that may require special equipment cleaning cycles to eliminate contamination of other samples that might follow in a batch.

Soil And Sediment Samples

Soil and sediment samples are subjected to general sieving to remove large stones and organic material before analysis. The drying temperature should be low to avoid loss of volatile elements. Selective leaching targeting the weakest bound trace elements may require air drying.

The following procedures can be used separately or combined in a package to meet specific sample size and composition requirements. Most of these procedures set the price based on sample weight.

Drying
Drying fees apply only to overly wet samples. Upon receipt of samples, laboratory managers, in consultation with the client, will determine the applicability of such procedures.

Crushing
Jaw crushers may be used to reduce sample particle size prior to pulverization. Very fine crushing may be desirable when nugget effect and sample representativeness is a concern. Other nominal sizes and fineness options are available on request.

Splitting
After crushing, some samples may require splitting into representative sub-samples.

Pulverizing
While larger pulps offer better sub-sample representation and are required for metallic screen assays, 250g pulps are routine for low-grade or non-mineralized rock. All pulverizing procedures make use of "flying disk" or" ring and puck" style low-chrome steel grinding mills unless otherwise specified. Please enquire if you are interested in non-metallic pulverization media such as agate, tungsten carbide or zirconia.

These procedures may be used when specialized preparation or sample compositing is required. An hourly labor charge may apply to time-intensive projects.