5 Different Types of Reference Materials

Reference materials are standards or ‘controls’ that are used to identify the metrological traceability and the quality of products, calibrate instruments and validate analytical methods. These standards are in place to ensure that laboratories have a benchmark to meet when providing accurate test results. Reference materials come in various forms and sizes depending on the applications they are used in, and throughout this blog post, we will look at 5 different reference materials.

Certified Reference Materials

Certified Reference Materials are also known as laboratory standards. These reference materials have been identified as the most accurate and reliable in the world and are certified for Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), Platinum (Pt) and Palladium (Pd). Certified Reference Materials are pulverised rock with a specific gold content and are analyzed by aqua regia dissolution, cyanide dissolution or fire assay. 

The benefit of using these laboratory standards is that they help companies ensure they are meeting high standards and monitoring quality levels accurately. 

Reference Materials Available from XRF Scientific

XRF Scientific provide reference materials that are certified for use with platinum, palladium, gold or silver group elements. In this section, we will give details on some of these materials.

1. CRMs Pt, Pd and Au

XRF Scientific certified reference materials for platinum, palladium and gold are available in four solutions. These are PK3, PG04, PD05 and PD06. Each material is available in sachets of 30 and 50g and jars of 2.5kg.

The materials are used to produce high-quality products in platinum and palladium refining and trade.

2. Au and Ag Oxides

Gold and silver reference materials are used to ensure high-quality products and good practices are followed in the refining and trading of gold and silver.

There are a variety of certified reference materials for silver and gold oxides. These include AgAuBlank, OxQ132 and OxQ153.

3. Au and Ag Sulphides

Au and Ag sulphide CRMs are available in but are not limited to SL105, SN104 and SP89.

4. Au Oxides

Gold (Au) certified reference materials are used because of their homogeneity of the sample. The homogeneity reflects whether a manufacturer can remove any nugget effects and produce a product that will provide reliable and repeatable results. They are typically used in mining and exploration applications, where accurate data is crucial.

There are a large number of oxide reference materials available for gold. They include AuBlank111, OxA147, OxB130, OxC168, OxD167, OxF181 and many other solutions.

5. Au Sulphides

Much like the Au oxide reference materials, there are also many sulphide CRMs available for gold. These solutions are available in SC110, SE114, SF100, SG113, SJ111 and many others.

Reference Materials at XRF Scientific

XRF Scientific supplies and manufactures a number of reference materials that are ideal solutions for XRF sample preparation and instrument calibration. We are proud of our high-quality products, our customer service, and our ability to share our in-depth knowledge with our clients.

For further information on any reference materials we produce or supply, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we will be ready to answer any questions you may have.