Thermo Scientific NITON XL3t 500 User Manual page 52

Analysis of Unprepared Samples – In Situ
Diamond Drilling
1-38 NITON XL3 Analyzer User's Guide
deposit. The drill cores are analyzed stratigraphically to map in three
dimensions the extent and concentration of ore throughout the site's
volume.
Drill Cores
There are several types of drilling, which result in different types of core.
Figure 1-2. Core sample analysis
Diamond drilling generally results in a solid core, cut into meter-long
cylindrical segments, though drill core from loosely compacted strata can
fragment easily. The cores are usually split along their length, giving half- or
sometimes quarter-round sections. There are several ways you can analyze
these cores, depending on what you want to know about them.
Spaced dots - Take a sample every 10 cm, If you bypass visibly different
sections, it's a good idea to infill with analyses in these sections. This gives a
trend overview over the length of the core.
Slide - Take a single sample over the whole length of the core segment by
starting the sample at one end and sliding the analyzer over the surface at a
constant speed, ending the analysis when you reach the end of the core
segment. The sample should take approximately 30 seconds. This gives an
averaged overview of the whole segment at once.
Slide and retest - Perform a Slide test, then resample spots of visibly different
materials.
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