What an antimony assay does—and does not—tell you

Understanding the subject

An assay result describes the composition of the sample analysed. Its commercial usefulness depends on sample identity, collection method and whether the sample can reasonably represent the material being offered.

What it means in practice

The report does not automatically prove the uniformity of a shipment, plant recovery or product suitability. Those questions require their own technical evidence and an agreed acceptance process.

Bring it into your next discussion

Buyers and sellers should agree which results govern the transaction, how the shipment is sampled and what happens if analyses differ. Keeping these decisions explicit reduces the chance that an attractive grade figure becomes a later disagreement.

• Check the lot and sample identifiers.
• Review method, units and moisture basis.
• Agree how final acceptance is determined.