The Pt and Pd assay

The fluxes being charged via a pipette with 1 mL of PtCl

Adding a .5 mL of PdCl to the Pt and fluxes.
Notice the color of the liquids being pipetted onto the fluxes.

The still molten Pt + Pd melt set out to be cooled.

The PtPd melt after cooling shows a Lead Button at bottom of crucible.

The crucible is broken exposing the slag and Lead button at right bottom.

PtPdAg Lead button weighs = 29.75 grams and ready for cupellation.

10x – The PtPdAg prill still in warm cupel-- size of prill is 0.065” which about the same as inquarted. Thus, if the Pt and Pd were captured some silver was lost.

30x – PtPdAg prill still in cupel but now better illustrating the dimples and irregular crystalline surface structure.
Don’t know what the white grunge clinging to prill is, but could be a pieces of debris blown into cupel.

30x – the prill on glass slide in 1 drop of nitric acid and 2 drops of water, which quickly initiates digestion and liberated surface blacks.

20x – The PtPdAg prill being subjected to the acid/water and the microscope focus on blacks laying on top of the glass slide.

20x – The microscope focus now is oriented to the prill’s surface attempting to show the crystalline structure that is definitely not typical silver.

10x – The remaining blacks which most likely are Pt because nitric acid is known to dissolve Pd and some Pt when in the presence of silver ions.
The white crystals are contaminate silver nitrate.

20x – A magnified view of preceding image.