I would rather see this discussion being done in the open, if people are bored they just skip a thread.
One way science works is to put up theories and then test it. If it fails the test then try to find a better theory that matches the results better. If one aspect of a theory can be proven false then the whole theory is questionable.
In this matter the theory is that the xrf reading is correct and the sum of all metals are 100%.
If there is no copper in the results then a major part is missing and it would create some major doubts in the xrf reading.
If the liquid you started cementing from contained chloride ions then there should be no major amounts of silver in solution and consequently not in the resulting metal powder either.
So now I propose a new theory, that the xrf readings are faulty since the xrf doesn't know all elements in the sample. The program is doing it's best to match the readings from the sensor to the few elements it's been programmed with.
As an analogy, if you work at, for example Boeing labeling aircraft models then everything you need to know is the models made by Boeing. It works when you are in that environment, but if you are at an airport and there is an Airbus at the terminal you would probably come up with a 737 or similar model of Boeing aircraft because that is what it matches best.
If an outside observer was looking at a list you made of the aircraft visiting the airport for the last week and only saw different models of Boeing they would doubt the whole list, not just the one they could verify was false. If one model of Airbus was missing then some of the other models listed must also be in error or the sum wouldn't add up to 100%.
That is why I seriously doubt the list from that xrf. Lead for example is one element I believe could mess with an xrf looking for precious metals. I think it usually pops up as platinum but I might be wrong there.
I am a man of science and I gave you an easy way to prove me wrong. Dissolve the copper powder in nitric acid. Any rhodium should remain as solid and any silver would end up in solution. Add HCl and it would precipitate silver chloride.
My prediction is that since you cemented this on iron from a solution where all gold has been removed. (negative stannous test) the metal should be easily dissolved in nitric acid and not precipitate when you add HCl.
If you are afraid of the truth then you don't want to do the test. Doing the test would prove that your dream about a huge payout is false. We have seen that many times over on the forum, someone married to a dream refuses to accept facts as it would crush their dream, especially people believing they found a huge ore and that they are rich now.
You say truth matters, I say proof matters.
Göran
