Global copper demand is rising, driven by electrification, grid storage, and renewable infrastructure. However, the copper being processed is increasingly variable, reflecting deeper deposits, blended feeds, and more complex mineral chemistry. Copper analysis now carries strategic weight within mining operations because laboratory data defines recovery targets, concentrate specifications, and financial reconciliation models. As feed composition shifts, analytical variability can propagate directly into production forecasts and revenue calculations, particularly when matrix effects modify the measured copper fluorescence intensity in X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. To address distortion of copper signal intensity caused by absorption and secondary enhancement effects associated

In X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, achieving reliable limits of detection and quantification is strongly influenced by effective control of contamination during sample pelletising. While modern XRF spectrometers offer exceptional stability and resolution, their performance can be undermined long before analysis begins if sample preparation is poorly controlled. Trace contaminants introduced during pelletising can elevate background signals, distort peak intensities, or obscure low-level analytes entirely. For this reason, contamination control must be treated as an integral part of the XRF sample preparation workflow, with consistent, technically grounded controls applied at each stage.

Defining Primary Sources of Contamination

Several distinct sources acco

In X-ray fluorescence (XRF) laboratories, the choice of sample preparation method determines analytical precision and accuracy by governing sampling representivity, physical stability, and matrix effects. Because the XRF spectrometer interrogates only a small volume of material, any heterogeneity introduced or left unresolved during preparation is expressed directly in the reported result. Sample preparation techniques therefore function as analytical controls, each addressing a specific limitation associated with solid samples rather than serving as interchangeable processing steps. Crushing, pelletising, and fusion differ in how much variability they suppress, how much effort they require, and which sources of uncertainty remain present at the point of analysis. Comprehending such diffe

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