The "ton assay" or "ton assay UK" typically refers to the assay ton, a unit of measurement used in the mining industry to express the amount of valuable material contained in a quantity of ore. This unit of measurement is used similarly in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
An assay ton is defined as 29.1667 grams (or approximately 1.04 ounces) of ore material. It is a standardized sample size used for analyzing the composition of ore and determining the percentage of valuable minerals or metals present within it.
Miners and metallurgists use assay tons to assess the quality and economic potential of ore deposits. By analyzing a sample equivalent to one assay ton, they can estimate the likely yield of valuable minerals from a larger quantity of ore.
So, "ton assay UK" refers to the assay ton measurement used in the United Kingdom, which is the same as the assay ton used in the United States and other mining contexts.
A Dalton (Da) is a unit of mass used in the field of chemistry and molecular biology to express the molecular weight or mass of atoms, molecules, and compounds. It is named after John Dalton, a British chemist and physicist who contributed to the development of modern atomic theory.
One Dalton (Da) is defined as one twelfth of the mass of an unbound carbon-12 atom, which is roughly equivalent to 1.66053906660 x 10^-27 kilograms. This definition was adopted as the standard for atomic mass units (u) and is now used internationally.
Daltons are useful in the following contexts:
Atomic and Molecular Mass: The molecular weight or mass of a molecule is often expressed in Daltons. For example, the molecular weight of water (H2O) is approximately 18.01528 Da, which means that one molecule of water has a mass of approximately 18.01528 Daltons.
Proteomics and Biochemistry: In biology, particularly in the study of proteins, the mass of biomolecules like proteins and nucleic acids is often measured in Daltons. This is important for understanding their structure and function.
Mass Spectrometry: Mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical technique used to determine the mass and composition of molecules. Mass spectrometry results are often reported in Daltons.
Chemical Reactions: In chemical reactions, the mass of reactants and products can be expressed in Daltons to understand the stoichiometry of the reaction.