# Iridium In Mining Slag



## Pumice (Jun 1, 2013)

I have been playing with gold and PGM's for a few months now, have learned alot, and have done very well. But really know little about mining to be honest.

This week we salvaged equipment and scrap etc. from an old lead/zink mine that I think has been closed since the late 1930's. There is piles of brittle slag that they removed the lead and zinc from. 

We took some of these chunks of slag with us to test with an XFR gun just for fun. Out of several samples we got a consistent reading of 10-15% iridium. The remainder being pretty much just iron and copper. (I do realize this does not mean 10-15% of the slag is iridium). But it does show there is a fair amount of iridium as far as metals present in the slag.

Anyways, just wondering if this is anything to get excited about? Any suggestions on how I can play with it? Maybe seperate it? Links to any good posts or information that would point me in the right direction and help me learn? I will be reading this whole section, but still would like to hearing advice and opinions from other members as to what I have here. And what to do with it...

Thanks and interested to hear back!


----------



## Platdigger (Jun 1, 2013)

I believe there is a posting on here somewere stating that xrf can show ir when none is present.

If there is ir there, then there should be at least some of the other pgms present.
You could send some off for fire assay.


----------



## Pumice (Jun 1, 2013)

There is a bit of ruthenium too so it says, but no other PGM's in the peices we checked. I have tried to find that post about XFR giving false iridium readings. Does anyone else know where this post is??? Or have any additional info?


----------



## goldsilverpro (Jun 1, 2013)

Search using XRF instead of XFR.


----------



## g_axelsson (Jun 1, 2013)

https://www.google.se/search?q=site%3Agoldrefiningforum.com+xrf+false+iridium

Göran


----------

