Assayer Training

Part 1 of 5 in the BCIT Assayer Training Program designed to prepare students to write the BC Assayer License exam. It covers lab safety, extractive metallurgy, sampling, statistics, quality assurance and quality control. Topics include elements of WHMIS; handling and disposal of hazardous chemicals and compressed gases; aspects of hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy; conventional unit operations in mineral liberation and separation; lab sampling of ores, concentrated and exploration materials; Gy, Ingamells and Visman sampling theory models; documentation, audits, ethics, control samples, handling outliers, descriptive statistics, terminology, control charting, accuracy and precision of quality assurance.
Prerequisite(s):

• Diploma in Chemical or Mining Technology or equivalent or a degree plus minimum one year practical lab experience. Personnel working in the analytical chemistry field or related industries with minimum three years practical lab experience may qualify upon departmental approval.

Part 1 covers the formation of minerals from elements and the resulting relationship between physical properties, mineral structure and composition: structural and composite classification of minerals: precipitation of ore gangue minerals from saturated hydrothermal fluids in viens and on sea floor: temperature-dependent crystalization from the cooling magna and lava: learning to identify 25 common ore and gangue minerals. Text used is "National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals". Part 2 covers precious metal analysts expertise and aptitude relating to their role in mining and metallurgical industry: sampling and sample preparation procedures: methods of precious metal analysis (silver, gold and platinum-group elements) in a wide variety of materials found in mineral exploration, mining, metallurgical and fabrication industries. Topics include sample preparation, assay reagents and fusion products, furnaces, charge balance and weights, lead button, cupellation, parting, scorification, cyanide leaching, fire assaying.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in CHSC 5631

Classical quantitative and qualitative "wet" methods of analysis. Topics include sample decomposition methods and techniques; basic procedures in inorganic qualitative analysis; detailed procedures or brief outlines of the following elements: aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdemum, nickel, phosphorus, selenium, sulphur, tin, tungsten, uranium, zinc. During the presentations, there will be some emphasis given to chemical reactions, sources of error and the concept of interfering elements.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in CHSC 5631

Basic principles involved in the operation of instruments commonly found in analytical laboratories. Included are absorption spectrometers (atomic absorption, etc) emission spectrometers (arc, ICP and DCP), X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, electrochemical instruments (polarography, anodic stripping, coulometry, ion selective electrodes) and fluorometer. The description and function of the various instrument components will be presented to assist in discussions about the relative advantages and disadvantages of an instrument for a given analytical problem, errors and error avoidance, and instrument calibration.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in CHSC 5631

Covers methods for the determination of a list of elements in a wide variety of materials used in mineral exploration, mining, and metallurgical and fabrication industries. Emphasis is placed on selecting the most suitable technique for the particular samples under investigation. Classical methodology includes gravimetric and volumetric analysis, as well as fire assaying, using the atomic absorption, spectrophotometer and PH meter/ISE. Topics: precious metal assaying, wet assaying, qualitative analysis, mineral identification. Students have the option to complete the five courses in the Assayer training, which helps prepare them to write the BC Ministry of Energy Professional Certification Exam.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in CHSC 5631 and (50% in CHSC 5632 or 50% in CHSC 5633 or 50% in CHSC 5634)