Refining
REFINING
Precious Metals Tswane specialises in refining precious metals from primary and secondary sources to international standards.
The precious metals we refine are primarily gold and silver. Certain other metals, such as platinum group metals (PGMs), can be separated (not fully refined).
Our refinery operates in an economical, efficient and environmentally responsible manner, in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. We conduct regular audits and monitoring to ensure ongoing compliance.
We purchase scrap metals from bulk scrap metal dealers who are authorised dealers and have passed the necessary compliance checks. We do not buy directly from the public.
The purpose of a refinery is the standardization, purification, quality control, and responsible management of precious metal reserves. We offer these services with a solid combination of financial stability, integrity, and decades of industry knowledge. Trust us to provide you with highly competitive rates and the best customer service.
COMMON QUESTIONS
We refine precious metals which have been recovered from various sources including material from gold buyers, scrap metal buyers, industrial and electronic scrap, plating solutions and equipment, jeweller’s waste, licenced mines, and dental alloys.
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Assay technology is used to accurately determine the content of an ore, metal, or alloy.
No, you do not receive the same metal back, as it is not cost-effective to refine each lot separately. You receive the equivalent in new metal or payment for the value of the metal.
Recovery concentrates a metal from a low-grade source. An example is mined material, where the material is not yet refined, only recovered from the ore deposit. Once a material has been recovered, it can be refined into a higher grade/purity as a subsequent step.
ASSAYING
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing and assay.
We use X-ray fluorescence assaying to analyze the composition of an ore, metal, or alloy. It is fast (taking about three minutes) and remarkably accurate without any damage to the material being tested. When assaying is complete, a full report indicates the percentages of gold as well as other alloying metals such as copper, silver, zinc, etc.
Assay sample preparation for XRF analysis involves melting the material in an induction smelter, mixing it thoroughly, and taking a clean, homogenous sample from the center of the melt using a vacuum pin tube. The sample is then carefully tested with an XRF spectrometer.
Refining
Pyro- and hydrometallurgical refining.
The process of separating and purifying precious metals from one another and/or other metals is called refining. Separating silver and gold from one another specifically is also called parting.
Pyrometallurgy refers to high-temperature processes, such as smelting, and hydrometallurgy refers to dissolving metals and using chemical principles to enable their separation. To refine metal, a combination of the two fields is used, as different types of fluxes, acids and other chemicals are employed to strip impurities from the molten metal or solution, leaving behind a purified product.