Nickel is produced from two very different ores, lateritic and sulfidic. Lateritic ore is found primarily in tropical countries such as Indonesia and mined from various depths beneath the surface, while sulfidic ore is usually found in combination with copper ore and is mined underground. Nickel production has seen increasing demand in recent times as nickel is a key component in lithium-ion batteries, used in electric vehicles. Hence, a fast, accurate and precise method is needed for quantification of these ores both in the mining and refining processes. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is a well-established analytical method to determine chemical composition in materials with high accuracy and minimum sample preparation, therefore it is a preferred technique in process and quality control across many industries.
