Describe what equipment you would find in an assay office and what the equipment was used for.
An assay office is a laboratory that specializes in analyzing the purity and composition of precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum. The following are some of the equipment that you would find in an assay office and what they are used for:
1. Fire assay furnace: This is a furnace used for the fire assay process, which is a method of determining the purity of precious metals. The furnace is used to melt the sample of metal and then separate the impurities from the pure metal.
2. Spectrometer: This is a device that is used to analyze the composition of a metal sample. It works by measuring the amount of light that is absorbed by the sample.
3. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer: This is a non-destructive method of analyzing the composition of a metal sample. The XRF analyzer works by measuring the fluorescence emitted by the sample when it is exposed to X-rays.
4. Cupel: This is a small, porous cup made of bone ash. It is used in the fire assay process to absorb the impurities from the molten metal sample.
5. Balances: Assay offices use precision balances to weigh the metal samples and other chemicals used in the testing process.
List 3 interesting things you learned about furnaces.
1. The blast furnace was invented in China in the 1st century AD and was used to produce cast iron. The blast furnace works by blowing air through a bed of hot coals, which then heats up the iron ore and produces molten iron.
2. The reverberatory furnace was invented in Europe during the Middle Ages and was used to produce copper and other metals. The furnace works by heating the metal in a shallow hearth and then reflecting the heat back onto the metal using a curved roof.
3. The electric arc furnace was invented in the late 19th century and is used to produce steel. The furnace works by using an electric arc to heat the metal and then melting it down. Electric arc furnaces are capable of melting down and recycling large amounts of scrap metal.