A simple mercury vapor detector for geochemical prospecting

Abstract

The detector utilizes a large-volume atomic-absorption technique for quantitative determinations of mercury vapor thermally released from crushed rock. A quartz-enclosed noble-metal amalgamative stage, which is temper at u r e controlled and is actuated by a radio-frequency induction heater, selectively traps the mercury and eliminates low-level contamination. As little as 1 part per billion of mercury can be detected in a 1-gram sample in a 1-minute analytical period.

Distribution of gold and other metals in silicified rocks of the Goldfield mining district, Nevada

“…The former method has a sensitivity of 0.1 ppm, and the latter method a sensitivity of0.02 ppm. Arsenic was determined by the Gutzeit colorimetric method (Ward and others, 1963, p. 38-44), and mercury was determined by an atomic absorption method (Vaughn and McCarthy, 1964;Vaughn, 1967). All other elements, including silver, lead, bismuth, copper, and molybdenum, were determined by six-step semiquantitative spectrographic analysis (Grimes and Marranzino, 1968).…”

Favorable areas for prospecting adjacent to the Roberts Mountains thrust in southern Lander County, Nevada

“…Exploration for obscure deposits of this type requires extensive sampling and abundant chemical data. The development of rapid and inexpensive methods for determining trace amounts of gold, silver, and mercury (Lakin and Nakagawa, 1965;Huffman andothers, 1967;Ward and others, 1963;Vaughn, 1967) has provided the tools for conducting this type of prospecting economically.…”

Geochemical distribution of some metals in the Moenkopi Formation and related strata, Colorado Plateau region

“…Silver and copper analyses were duplicated with an atomic-absorption technique described by Huffman, Mensik, and Rader (1966) and Huffman (1968). Mercury, not included among the elements determined in the six-step spectrographic method, was determined utilizing a large-volume atomic-absorption technique described by Vaughn (1967).…”