QA on Analytical Balances - Kalassay Group

“Bringing You The World’s Best” 

a member of the Inspectorate group of companies 

Kalassay Group 

Perth - Kalgoorlie - Leonora

Company History 


• Originally a private company, founded in 1989, with the establishment of The 

Leonora Laverton Assay Laboratory in Leonora 

• Kalgoorlie based, with other laboratories in Leonora and Perth 

• Servicing clients in Western Australia, interstate and overseas 

• Constant growth path : 

• Yilgarn Assay Laboratory – Southern Cross : 1992 

• Wiluna Assay Laboratory – Wiluna : 1994 

• Kalgoorlie Assay Laboratory – Kalgoorlie : 1996 

• Perth Assay Laboratory – Perth : 2006 

• Technical evolution and expansion, from Gold analysis by AAS to 

multi-element analysis by ICP-OES, ICP-MS, XRF and Robotic Systems 

• Purchased by UK-based Inspectorate Group in early 2008

Mission Statement 


To provide a professional, scientific service second to none, which specifically 

services the mining industry regardless of location and isolation. 

The Kalassay Group aims to achieve a level of excellence that meets or 

exceeds our client’s expectations, while maintaining a competitive and 

technological superiority. 

Our commercial and technical depth is acknowledged within our industry and 

we intend to continue to better our competitors. 

We work cooperatively to be good members of our local and business 

communities 

Tony White 

Managing Director 

Kalassay Group


Occupational Health and Safety 

• We are committed to the health, safety and welfare of our 

employees, contractors, customers and visitors 

• No business objective will ever be given priority over safety. 

• We maintain a comprehensive Occupational Health and 

Safety System 

• We ensure compliance with mandatory standards and 

regulations 

• Management and staff consult widely on issues regarding 

OH&S issues 

All employees have a legitimate 

role in this process

Environmental Policy 


We are committed to maintaining the balance between economic 

success and the health of the environment 

We actively encourage consideration of the environment which we 

all share and which we are all obligated to protect 

We fulfil our obligations by adhering to all environmental laws and 

proactively pursue environmental principles in our business 

activities

Key Attributes 

• Owned and staffed by some of 

the most experienced chemists 

and analysts in the mining 

industry 

• Dedicated to bringing “state-ofthe-art” 

technologies to the 

mining industry. 


• Customer focused 

• Technically capable 

• Highly innovative 

• Well resourced 

• Own transport system 

• Convenient locations

Kalassay Group 


Kalassay offer a wide range of analytical methods and services. 

From Low-level geochemical analysis to grade control, Kalassay provide a 

complete analytical service 

From sample pick up to reporting of results, your work is handled and 

monitored by an experienced, dedicated team 

Base Metals, Uranium 

Nickel Laterite, Silver, Tantalum, Lead, 

Uranium 

Nickel Sulphide, Iron, Mineral Sands 

Low-level Geochem, Gold & PGEs 

Gold & PGEs 

Gold 

Mixed Acid Digest / ICP- OES 

Pressed Powder Pellet / XRF 

Fused Disc / XRF 

Aqua Regia / ICP- MS 

Fire Assay / ICP- OES or AAS 

Cyanide Leach / AAS


Robotic Systems 

Kalassay has invested heavily in new cutting-edge robotic systems for sample 

preparation and analysis. 

Robots are ideal for repetitive tasks and perform them with superb accuracy. 

Not only does the introduction of robotic equipment provide a positive quality 

outcome, it also provides a positive Occupational Health and Safety outcome by 

removing workers from potentially hazardous environments and processes. 

Robots are used to move samples from one automated process to another with the 

whole process being controlled and monitored by sophisticated computer systems.


Kalgoorlie Assay Laboratory 

• Corporate and technical headquarters 

• Kalgoorlie’s Biggest Assay Laboratory 

• Kalgoorlie’s only Commercial Gold and Base Metals Laboratory 

• K.A.L. provides analytical services to Gold, Nickel, Silver, Tantalum, Lead 

and Rare Earth explorers and miners, using the latest instruments: 

ICP- MS, ICP- OES, XRF, Carbon-Sulphur Analysers 

• Continued investment in equipment and personnel offers ever- expanding 

capabilities


Leonora Assay Laboratory 

• Large capacity, centrally located in Leonora. 

• Providing analytical services to all areas of the Northern Goldfields 

and Murchison. 

• Samples collected from as far away as Laverton, Wiluna, Sandstone 

and Menzies 

• Specialising in Gold analysis by Fire Assay and Aqua Regia 

• Low-level and multi-element samples collected and passed to the 

Kalgoorlie Assay Laboratory for analysis by ICP-MS, ICP-OES and XRF


Perth Assay Laboratory 

• Close to Perth Airport and Perth Road Transport Hubs 

• Offering Low-level and Multi-Element analysis 

by ICP- MS, ICP- OES and XRF 

• Iron Ore Analysis by Robotic Fusion, LOI & XRF 

• PGEs by Fire Assay & Aqua Regia


Best Practice in 

Sample Preparation 

• Barcoding of samples and automation of recording tasks 

‣ reduction in errors 

‣ improved workflow tracking 

• Programmed analysis of sample preparation equipment and grinding 

performance 

‣ more consistent pulverising 

‣ improved analytical performance 

• Vacuum cleaning of pulverising machines 

‣ reduced airborne contamination 

• High capacity extraction from sample preparation areas 

‣ reduced airborne contamination


Latest Generation ICP-OES 

Kalassay Laboratory operates 

cutting- edge Optical Emission 

Spectrometers (ICP-OES) including 

the latest instrument from Thermo 

Elemental – The iCAP. 

Coupled with computer-controlled 

dilutors and auto-samplers, these 

instruments offer superlative 

quality and speed of analysis 

Built-in flushing and contamination 

control programmes further 

enhance analytical performance and 

data integrity


State-of-the-Art ICP-MS 

Kalassay employs ICP-MS as part of a number of analyses: 

Aqua Regia, 4-Acid Digest and Fire Assay 

• Kalassay have a sizable fleet 

of the latest ICP-MS 

instruments 

• Thermo Elemental X5 & X7 

ICCP-MS instruments have 

been our mainstays for a 

number of years. 

• To these fine instruments we 

have recently added the latest 

Agilent ICP-MS 

• Both brands of equipment 

offer excellent performance in 

ppb and ppt-level analysis 

• ICP-MS is the instrument of 

choice for low-level 

Gold, PGE’s and path-finder 

elements


X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis 

• The only commercial 

laboratory in the goldfields to 

offer XRF Analysis 

• Pressed Powder and Fused 

Bead methods available 

• K.A.L. has Bruker S4 Pioneer 

and Bruker S4 Explorer XRFs 

on site 

• High sensitivity, accuracy and 

great dynamic range. 

• Fully-Automated Robotic 

Fusion and Analysis System 

now fully operational at 

Kalassay’s Perth Assay 

Laboratory

XRF / XRD Analysis 


The Kalassay Group has extensive in-house XRF and XRD resources, all 

under the supervision of XRF Specialist Dr Sharon Ness. 

Dr Ness has been involved with Kalassay’s XRF work for over six years and 

is now a full-time staff member, contributing many years of specialised XRF 

& XRD experience. 

Kalassay Group is also a 

participant in Standards 

Australia’s SG9 Study 

Group, which is developing 

improved analytical 

methods for Iron Ore 

analysis.


Atomic Absorption Spectrometry 

• Kalassay uses the latest Varian 

Flame AAS instruments. 

• These units offer superb 

sensitivity, coupled with autosampling 

capability. 

• At the same time, ICP-OES is 

increasingly taking over from 

AAS as the instrument of choice 

for reasons of speed, sensitivity 

and flexibility.

Total Quality Control 

• Sample Manager – Laboratory 

Information Management System, with 

integral quality-reporting functions 

• All results are subjected to multiple 

levels of Quality Assurance & Quality 

Control 

• Experienced chemists and analysts 

follow rigorous checking protocols 

• Quality Assurance on all data and 

equipment during all phases of analysis 

a member of the Inspectorate group of companies


Quality Assurance on Dispensers 

As part of our quality assurance programme, all dispensers, autodilutors 

and auto-samplers are checked regularly for volumetric 

accuracy. 

Results are recorded directly into our Quality Assurance System 

The results are plotted and analysed for accuracy and precision 

Dispensers 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

VOLUME WATER 14.2ml 

VOLUME HCL 4.0ml 

NITRIC -HClO4 5ml 

SINGLE AUTO DILUTOR 1:1 

MULTI RACK DILUTOR 1:1 

4 

2 

0 

1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 73 77 81 85 89 93 97 101 105 109 113


Industry - Leading 

Sample Preparation Facilities 

• Computer job control starts before samples arrive, with computerised job programming 

• Sample bar-coding, reconciliation and drying – all computer monitored. 

• Jaw and Boyd Crushers for accurate, efficient particle size reduction. 

• Rotary and Riffle Splitters for accurate sample size reduction 

• Industry standard Labtech LM5 Pulverisers, with 5000ml bowls and 2000ml capacity. 

• Standard grinding specification 90% passing 75um 

• Regular check screening of pulps 

• Thorough cleaning protocols and high-vacuum cleaning equipment avoid contamination.


Quality Assurance on Balances 

• Balances are checked daily for accuracy, with special emphasis given 

to the weight range normally encountered 

• The results are transferred into a spreadsheet and plotted to check for 

bias or poor reproducibility 

• Balances are re-calibrated on a regular basis and also when found to 

be outside of Q.C. tolerances 

Balance 6 

10 

0.1 GM WEIGHT 

1 

1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 

0.2 GM WEIGHT 

0.5 GM WEIGHT 

50 GM WEIGHT 

0.1 

0.01


Quality Assurance on Hotplate 

Temperatures 

All Hotplates used in digestion of samples have the temperature 

monitored and recorded 

Results are plotted and analysed. 

“Out of Spec” hot plates are removed & replaced 

Hotplate Temp 

230 

210 

190 

170 

150 

130 

110 

90 

1 

2 

3 

4 

L5 

70 

50 

1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101 106 111

%-75 UM 

Check Screening 


Sample preparation quality is 

monitored by wet sieve sizing analysis 

The sample passing a 75 micron 

screen is plotted to check for bias or 

poor preparation 

This is usually 1 in 25 samples. 

However this can be varied to client 

specifications, including selection of 

sieve size 

110 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

GRIND PERFORMANCE ST IVES - MARCH 02 

1 6 11 1621263136414651566166717681869196 

SAMPLES 

AV 

STD+ 

1 

STD-1 

%- 

75um


Quality Assurance for Duplicates 

Each job has a 

proportion, normally 10%, of 

the samples randomly selected 

and processed as a repeat 

analysis 

The original and replicate 

results are collected and 

plotted in correlation charts 

Duplicate Assay Analysis Chart


Quality Control on Standards 

All jobs have standards run with the 

unknowns, and the determined 

value plotted as a proportion of the 

expected value 

Variation within tolerance is 

acceptable, but action limits are set 

and non-conformance triggers 

actions to investigate deviations 

Actions may include all or at least 

part of batch, to be repeated. 

Standard Control Chart


Results Reporting 

• Results captured and collated on LIMS 

• Results analysed by routine utilisation of control samples: 

Duplicates for Reproducibility 

Blanks for Contamination 

Standards for Bias 

• Authorised data sent to client Results of analytical work are normally 

reported by e-mail to a list of recipients authorised by the client 

• Various report formats are available, but the overwhelming favourite is .csv 

as this is readily imported into most databases 

• Our Laboratory Information System (LIMS) is able to publish <strong>QA</strong> / QC data 

at the same time as the job results, allowing real-time data verification. 

• Results are also available in hard copy on request


Customer Focus 

• The Kalassay Group operates solely within the mining industry, offering 

analytical services to mining exploration companies from all over the world 

• Our future is inextricably connected to the mining industry and we participate 

in many industry organisations and initiatives 

• Our aim is to meet and exceed our client’s expectations at all times 

• We tailor our service to match client needs 

• We are always looking for ways to extend and improve our services 

Got a challenge – Come to us! 

Got a problem – Come to us!


Visit us……. 

on the web! 

• On-line Sample Submission 

• Analytical Batch Information 

• Useful Industry Links 

• and The Latest Kalassay News ! 

www.assay.com.au


….at your service ! 

Perth Kalgoorlie Leonora 

Assay Laboratory Assay Laboratory Assay Laboratory 

Tony White Kevin Bride Wayne Turner 

Ph: (08) 9250 6122 Ph: (08) 9091 7227 Ph: (08) 9037 6160 

Fx: (08) 9250 6133 Fx: (08) 9091 7228 Fx: (08) 9037 6270 

Em: perth@assay.com.au Em: kalgoorlie@assay.com.au Em: leonora@assay.com.au 

www.assay.com.au

QA on Analytical Balances - Kalassay Group

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