PhotonAssay™ is a fast, accurate, non-destructive process to determine gold, silver and copper in geological and process samples.

The technique uses gamma ray activation to induce nuclear transitions in the elements of interest, which leads to photon emissions with highly characteristic energies.

PhotonAssay™ can be performed on coarsely crushed material, allowing for simplified prep protocols. A large assay charge of approximately 500g is introduced to the instrument, improving representativeness of the sample. The time required from sample introduction to results acquisition can be as little as 3 minutes.

After analysis, the entire assay charge is returned intact and can be submitted for subsequent analyses such as geochemistry, cyanidation, metallurgical testing, environmental testing, etc. or retained for future verification.

Unlike traditional assay techniques, PhotonAssay™ does not use acids nor other hazardous reagents, does not generate lead fumes or solid waste, reduces manual handling and cuts the per-sample carbon footprint by up to half.