Products & Solutions for Mining

QEMSCAN 650F

MLA 650

QEMSCAN 650 & 650F

Overview

QEMSCAN® (an acronym for Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy) is a fully automated, non-destructive, high throughput micro-analysis system that provides rapid, statistically reliable and repeatable, mineralogical, petrographic and metallurgical data, from virtually any inorganic, and some organic, materials. It is considered a solution, rather than a tool, because it has been developed for specific industrial applications.

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Technology

In terms of underpinning technology, it is a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)-based automated image analyzer, based on FEI’s Quanta platform, and fitted with dual, liquid nitrogen-free (SDD-type) EDS detectors. It is available as either a Tungsten filament or Field Emission Gun (FEG) source system.

Capability

It is a product of record and considered to be one of the most advanced automated analyzers available for minerals, rocks and man-made materials. QEMSCAN uses combinations of Backscattered Electron Intensity and rapidly acquired Electron Induced Secondary X-Ray spectra as the primary methods of mineral identification.

It offers expert-level, petrographic-based, image analysis functionality (e.g. grain size, grain shape analysis, liberation analysis etc.). The large sample chamber can accommodate up to 14 samples (30mm diameter) at one time. Sample preparation for the QEMSCAN requires that the material to be analyzed is presented to the instrument as a flat, carbon coated surface. The solution has fully customizable measurement modes.

Unique features

History: QEMSCAN (and its forerunner QEM*SEM®) was developed by CSIRO in the late 1970’s, commercialized and registered by Intellection in 2003, and acquired by FEI in 2008.
Mineral Identification: QEMSCAN automatically identifies minerals and phases under the electron beam by comparing the elemental proportions and BSE values derived from rapidly acquired EDS X-ray spectra with a library of reference mineral and phase compositions, known as the Species Identification Protocol (SIP). QEMSCAN is equipped with a SIP editor to define and edit phase identification off-line.
Proprietary Image Analysis Software: QEMSCAN uses iExplorer image analysis software to analyze the resulting data.
Detector Options: QEMSCAN is available only with Bruker EDS systems.

Main Applications

QEMSCAN is a product of record for the mining business sector where it is used for mineral exploration, ore characterization, geometallurgy and mineral processing improvements, especially in base metal operations (copper, nickel, lead and zinc). The coal industry is applying QEMSCAN to the automated analysis of coal, pulverized fuel and coal combustion products, in order to better understand and improve coal combustion and waste utilization.

MLA 650 & 650F

Overview

The MLA (an acronym for Mineral Liberation Analyzer) is an automated mineral analysis system that can identify minerals in polished sections of drill core, particulate, or lump materials, and quantify a wide range of mineral characteristics, such as mineral abundance, grain size, and liberation. Mineral texture and degree of liberation are fundamental properties of ore and drive its economic treatment, making the data gathered by the MLA invaluable to geologists, mineralogists and metallurgists who engage in process optimization, mine feasibility studies, and ore characterization. It is considered a solution, rather than a tool, because it has been developed for specific industrial applications.

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Technology

Capability

It is a product of record and considered to be one of the most advanced automated analyzers available for minerals, rocks and man-made materials. MLA uses combinations of Backscattered Electron Intensity and rapidly acquired Electron Induced Secondary X-Ray spectra as the primary methods of mineral identification. It offers expert-level, petrographic-based, image analysis functionality (e.g. grain size, grain shape analysis, liberation analysis etc.). The large sample chamber can accommodate up to 14 samples (30mm diameter) at one time. Sample preparation for the MLA requires that the material to be analyzed is presented to the instrument as a flat, carbon coated surface. The solution has fully customizable measurement modes.

Unique features

History: The MLA was developed by the University of Queensland’s JKMRC and JKTech in the late 1990’s, commercialized in 2000, and acquired by FEI in 2009.
Mineral Identification: MLA automatically identifies minerals and phases under the electron beam by using an EDS X-ray spectral pattern matching algorithm, by comparing the x-ray spectrum to a library of reference spectra.
Proprietary Image Analysis Software: MLA uses DataView image analysis software to analyze the resulting data.
Detector Options: MLA is available with both Bruker and EDAX EDS systems.

Main Applications

MLA is a product of record for the precious metal mining industry, especially gold and platinum group minerals, where it has unparalleled time to data capabilities. For example, the MLA 650F is a high-speed automated mineralogy analyzer to optimize the performance of mineral processing operations. Compared to traditional automated mineralogy analyzers, the system reduces sample analysis turnaround time from days to hours, allowing operators to increase metal recovery by responding faster and more frequently to changes in feed and waste stream mineralogy. MLA is also used in base metal (copper, nickel, lead and zinc) and iron ore operations for mineral exploration, ore characterization, geometallurgy and mineral processing improvements.

Product Information

Product Datasheets QEMSCAN 650 Datasheet » QEMSCAN 650F Datasheet » MLA 650 Datasheet » MLA 650F Datasheet »

Improved Clay ID by QEMSCAN

With features only resolvable at the sub-micron scale, clay minerals possess subtle variations in chemical composition and can be easily confused with other clay minerals and silicates. As a result, clay typing requires special analytical techniques like those delivered by QEMSCAN.

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