PREPARATION, HOMOGENEITY EVALUATION AND COOPERATIVE STUDY OF 2 NEW CHROMITITE REFERENCE SAMPLES CHR-PT+ AND CHR-BKG

Two chromitite samples from the Isles of Shetland (North Scotland) have been processed, each in 200 kg quantities, as reference samples for the determination of gold and the platinum-group elements (PGE). One or these samples, Chromitite CHR-Pt+ is enriched in the PGE and the other, Chromitite CHR-Bkg has much lower concentrations. A detailed assessment of sample homogeneity is presented, together with the results of a cooperative study by thirty-rive international geochemical laboratories, private and public. Contributed data together with derived working values are presented for Au and the PGE as well as for major, minor and a few trace elements. It is hoped that this first compilation report will encourage additional laboratories to participate in further studies of the PGE in these two CHR samples.