SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT
Scanning electron microscopes are now being put to use for operational problem solving
Meaningful mineral measurement
Simon Isherwood asks whether operational mineralogy could be a solution to fl otation problems in the mining sector
valid and, other than expressing some irritation, that is where the discussion stops. T e question ‘what has changed in the ore?’ is seldom asked, because nobody has the data to provide the answer. We are entering a phase in the treatment of
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ores when the metallurgist is able to exploit tools that have, until recently, only been available to fundamental researchers.
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he following conversation takes place hundreds of times per week: Q: Why is the grade/recovery below target? A: Because the ore has changed.
Both the question and answer are usually
Scanning electron microscopy has been used for elemental analysis in mineralogy since the 1970s. On- and in-stream analytical techniques are frequently used in concentrators to monitor metallurgical performance. Several mining houses have units monitoring performance for precious metals research. T ere has been limited use by engineering companies in process and plant design. T e development of software to incorporate the elemental analysis into liberation and mineral analysis has now reached the stage where the equipment can be used for operational problem solving. Betachem and Nasaco have pioneered the use of mineral liberation analysis (MLA) in their
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