Raw materials processing

Mineral raw materials:

• Precious metals concentrates;
• alluvial gold;
• alluvial platinum;
• zinc cementation;
• gold and silver alloy (doré).

Secondary raw materials:

• precious metals-containing wastes;
• precious metals standard alloys; 
• slimes, catalysts, salts, ashes, jewelry manufacture wastes; 
• electronics and electrotechnical scrap classified according the device type.

Requirements for raw materials:

• The concentration of non-precious metals or other impurities must be reduced to the minimum, overall mass fraction of gold and platinum metals >1%;
• raw material must be explosion-proof and radiation-proof (the mass fraction of radionuclides in the raw material must not cause changes in the natural radioactivity levels), the acceptable mass fraction of cyanides and mercury < 0,1%, the acceptable mass fraction of arsenic < 5%;
• the cost of precious metals in a raw material batch must not be lower than 3000 US dollars (based on the world prices effective while shipping).

Terminology used in contracts of raw materials delivery:

• Shipment - the amount of material delivered at a time.
• Batch - the amount of material which is sampled in order to identify precious metals mass fraction. A batch consists of one particular type of material. A batch can be made up by the supplier and be a part of a shipment or can consist of several shipments.
• Sampling scheme – a plan of carrying out sampling operations which includes information about the mass of a batch, the maximum size of fractions, procedures sequence (including preparation of laboratory assay), sampling and preparation for the test for moisture. 
• Alloyed mass – pure mass of material in a state of shipping.
• Dry mass – pure mass of material excluding the weight of water (identified during the test for moisture) or pure mass of material after the whole batch has underwent drying.
• Inventory – accompanying document of the supplier which contains the description of the shipment.