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- Force Commodities has received further assay results from the Tshimpala Project in the Republic of Malawi
- The samples were taken from exposed mineralisation at the Grand Canyon prospect, which is located within the Tshimpala Project
- Assay results of 83.2 and 83.3 per cent lead were obtained as well as results grading up to 1180g/t silver
- Force has ended the day steady at 1.8 cents apiece
Force Commodities has receive results from its Tshimpala Project, located in the Republic of Malawi.
Samples were taken by Force’s head of exploration and primarily used the test work and commissioning work for the mobile crushing and screening plant equipment.
The samples were taken from exposed mineralisation at the Grand Canyon prospect, which is located within the Tshimpala Project.
Sample material, of approximately 1 kilogram, was then transported to Perth and assayed at SGS Australia facilities.
The assay method involved dissolving part of the sample in nitro and hydrochloric acids, followed by hydrobromic acid to evolve tin, arsenic and antimony.
After the addition of water and standing, the lead sulphate is filtered off and dissolved in ammonium acetate solution.
This lead acetate solution is then measured with a type of acid and an orange/blue mixed indicator.
As not all of the lead may have been bought on to form the lead sulphate, the filtered digestion solution may be made up to volume with deionised water. This will then be analysed for lead by atomic absorption spectrometry.
Assay results of 83.2 and 83.3 per cent lead were obtained from the two samples.
These results are consistent with the reported 85.1 per cent lead chemistry assay result and 82.8 per cent lead semi-quantitative result received in Canada.
Assays of silver grades were determined by fire assay – which consists of two consecutive petrochemical separations.
The first step involves fusion with a suitable fluxing agent with simultaneous collection.
This results in the isolation of precious metals and due to the high anticipated levels of silver in the samples SGS adopted a modified version of this method.
The fire assay method was selected by SGS due to the greater than 80 per cent lead grade of the samples already determined. However, this had the potential to cause issues with the standard acid digestion approach.
Assay results of 1180g/t silver were obtained from the two samples.
Force is pleased with these assay results and is currently in discussions with SGS regarding both the establishment of appropriate testing facilities at its Tshimpala Project operations site.
Further sampling from pits and trances at the Tshimpala Project is ongoing at the Grand Canyon and Small Canyon Prospects with samples to be dispatched to SGS this quarter for assaying.
