Book excerpt: Analytical Chemistry in the Exploration, Mining and Processing of Materials is a collection of plenary lectures presented at the International Symposium on Analytical Chemistry in the Exploration, Mining, and Processing of Materials, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 23-27, 1976. Contributors explore the applications of analytical chemistry in the exploration, mining, and processing of materials and cover topics ranging from the role of reference materials in analytical chemistry to analytical requirements in exploration geochemistry, along with activation analysis of ores and minerals. This book is comprised of 15 chapters and begins with a discussion on the analytical needs for primary coal covering three sets of parameters associated with chemical quality, physical nature and condition, and rank fundamental properties. The reader is then introduced to coal products (coke, tar, gas) and their analysis; analytical chemistry of the noble metals; use of chromatography in the analysis of inorganic materials; and developments in wavelength and energy dispersive spectrometry, Subsequent chapters deal with optical emission spectrochemical analysis; automated on-line analysis for controlling industrial processes; and atomic absorption spectroscopy and its applications. This monograph will be a useful resource for chemists, metallurgists, materials scientists, and mining engineers.