Method for analyzing precious metals
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for analyzing a test specimen for metal content comprising:
- a. providing an electrolyte to a reservoir within a probe, said probe having an absorbent, non conductive, fiber tip and a non-conductive coating material surrounding the sides of the fiber tip leaving a limited portion of the end of the fiber tip free to contact the test specimen, said coating material defining a small, specific and repeatable area of actual contact between the fiber tip and the test specimen, and a metallic electrode in contact with the tip,b. saturating the fiber tip with the electrolyte,c. contacting a portion of the test specimen with the probe such that the area of contact between the fiber tip and the test specimen is small, specific and repeatable with respect to a test specimen,d. applying a substantially constant source of electromotive force between the electrode and the specimen,e. measuring a magnitude of an electromotive force generated by galvanic action between the electrode and a portion of the specimen contacted by the fiber probe tip, andf. comparing the magnitude obtained with the test specimen to magnitudes obtained from testing references of known metal content, to determine a relative metal content of the test specimen.
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Abstract
The nature of a metal sample, such as the purity of precious metals and metal alloys, such as gold, is determined using a handheld probe having an electrode embedded in an electrolyte in a reservoir of the probe and arranged to conduct electrically with the sample through the electrolyte and a fibrous tip. The tip can resemble the point of a marker or writing instrument. The tip is in fluid communication with the reservoir containing the electrolyte, and preferably has the electrode embedded therein. An electrical connection with the electrode is made at the rear of the probe. For testing gold purity, the electrode is preferably a thin platinum wire extending through the reservoir and into the tip to just behind the tip surface. A battery is coupled to a calibration potentiometer whereby the voltage on a millivoltmeter is set to full scale when the probe is open circuited. When coupled to the sample in a circuit, the galvanic cell formed by the same, the electrode and the electrolyte reduces the voltage sensed at the meter, as a function of the extent of galvanic action. Preferably the electrolyte is a weak acid including nitric acid and ammonium chloride salt in aqueous solution.
13 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for analyzing a test specimen for metal content comprising:
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a. providing an electrolyte to a reservoir within a probe, said probe having an absorbent, non conductive, fiber tip and a non-conductive coating material surrounding the sides of the fiber tip leaving a limited portion of the end of the fiber tip free to contact the test specimen, said coating material defining a small, specific and repeatable area of actual contact between the fiber tip and the test specimen, and a metallic electrode in contact with the tip, b. saturating the fiber tip with the electrolyte, c. contacting a portion of the test specimen with the probe such that the area of contact between the fiber tip and the test specimen is small, specific and repeatable with respect to a test specimen, d. applying a substantially constant source of electromotive force between the electrode and the specimen, e. measuring a magnitude of an electromotive force generated by galvanic action between the electrode and a portion of the specimen contacted by the fiber probe tip, and f. comparing the magnitude obtained with the test specimen to magnitudes obtained from testing references of known metal content, to determine a relative metal content of the test specimen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification