Application Note RAISING THE BAR FOR BULLION TESTING

Olympus portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers provide users with accurate surface chemistry of bullion bars, while Olympus ultrasonic flaw ™ Benefits of Vanta detectors provide a nondestructive, fast, and reliable method for helping XRF Analyzers ensure that gold bars have not been adulterated. Combined, these two technologies enable users to be confident in the purity and integrity of their When accuracy and confidence count, the Olympus Vanta XRF bullion bars. instrument provides immediate, on-site elemental measurements Analysis without the need for drilling or cutting for analyzing precious metals, The rise in fraudulently adulterated gold bullion bars by inserting slugs of including gold, , , inexpensive metals (such as ) is a concern for gold markets. These and rhodium. Features include: insertions are difficult, and often impossible, to identify visually, by measuring the weight, or using radiography technologies. Portable XRF analyzers provide Continuous operation at accurate analysis of precious metals, but are limited to the surface of the metal temperatures up to 50° C that is being analyzed. *1 (122 °F). Ultrasonic flaw detectors can be used to ensure that a bullion bar is homogeneous and free of insertions. When combined with portable XRF results, users can IP55/IP54 rated to withstand be confident that the surface chemistry obtained by their Vanta XRF analyzer is dirt, dust, and rain. representative of the chemistry throughout the entire bar. Rugged and built to pass a Ultrasonic flaw detectors work by generating pulses of high-frequency sound waves 1.2 m (4 ft) drop test (MIL‑ in a material, which then reflect back to their source after they strike a boundary STD-810G) to help prevent with a different material. This could be the bottom of the gold bar, an insertion breakages. within the gold bar (e.g. a tungsten metal insertion), or an internal void. Olympus flaw detectors can be used to distinguish between waves reflecting from the bottom Connect to the Olympus of the gold bar and waves reflecting from insertions or internal voids. Scientific Cloud™ to access and share data across multiple platforms from any location.*2

*1 With optional fan. *2 Requires optional wireless dongle.

Solid Gold Bar Adulterated Gold Bar Sound wave reflection from the Sound wave reflection from the insert bottom wall This test is set up by coupling the transducer to a known good bar and identifying the echo from the bottom surface. A flaw gate may be used to monitor the interval ahead of this back wall. Any echoes appearing within the region marked by the gate indicate that the sound beam is reflecting off a discontinuity, and the bar should be further inspected by other means.

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