Abstract
THE differences between assaying and chemical analysis in the ordinary usage of the terms are perhaps not very precise. An effort was made some years back in America to apply the word “assaying” only to the estimation of some or all of the elements in a substance by means of dry reagents and heat, and the word “analysis “to all estimations by the use of reagents in aqueous solution. These definitions, however, have not met with much favour, and have little to recommend them. It would be better to limit “assaying” to the estimation of the valuable constituent or constituents of an ore or other substance, and to use “analysis” for the estimation of the other constituents and for all qualitative determinations. According to this view, a gold ore would be assayed for gold and silver, and the sulphur, copper, iron, &c., would be determined by analysis, while a copper ore would be assayed for copper, the sulphur in iron pyrites would be determined by assay, and so on Messrs. Rhead and Sexton have in general followed this method, but there are difficulties in its adoption, and in any case an authoritative definition is required.
Assaying and Metallurgical Analysis for the use of Students, Chemists and Assayers.
By E. L. Rhead Prof. A. Humboldt Sexton Pp. x + 431. (London: Longmans, Green and Co.) Price 10s. 6d. net.
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R., T. Assaying and Metallurgical Analysis for the use of Students, Chemists and Assayers . Nature 66, 628–629 (1902). https://doi.org/10.1038/066628a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/066628a0
