OREAS 188

OREAS 188 is a nickel laterite certified reference material produced from a blend of limonitic and saprolitic nickel ores sourced from a range of globally significant laterite deposits.

The blend incorporates lateritic nickel materials from Barro Alto (Brazil), Sorowako (Indonesia), Murrin Murrin and Bulong (Western Australia), and Ravensthorpe limonite ores, together with minor additions of nickel-rich concentrates and saprolitic host materials. The resulting material reflects a spectrum of laterite weathering profiles, combining iron-rich limonite horizons with magnesium-rich saprolite zones.

Mineralogically, the blend is representative of typical nickel laterite systems, characterised by iron oxides (goethite/hematite) in the limonite zone and clay-rich silicate phases (including smectite and serpentine) in the saprolite zone, with nickel hosted in both oxide and silicate mineral phases.

OREAS 188 has been characterized using the following methods:

• Borate Fusion XRF- Majors and some traces, including Loss on Ignition (LOI) at 1000 °C
• Sodium peroxide fusion with full suite elemental package by ICP-OES and/or MS finish
• Carbon and sulphur by infrared combustion furnace/CS analyser

Certified values for applicable analytes are operationally defined for each method, with results under OREAS ISO 17034 scope of accreditation.