QEMSCAN^® is a fully automated, non-destructive, 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 used in the mining industry for mineral exploration, ore characterization, and mineral process optimization applications. The oil and gas industry utilizes QEMSCAN to reduce risk and improve extraction, based on knowledge derived from the micro-analysis of drill cuttings and cores. The coal industry is applying automated analysis of coal, pulverized fuel and coal combustion products, to better understand coal combustion and waste utilization.

The quantitative data generated by QEMSCAN is made easy to understand, interpret and interact with, by the use of the proprietary iExplorer software toolset, allowing automated production of mineral maps, customized charts, data tables and reports.

The QEMSCAN Story

QEMSCAN was developed in the late 1970s by Dr Alan F Reid of CSIRO, Australia, who created the first QEM*SEM technology (Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy) – a customized scanning electron microscope (SEM) fitted with multiple EDS x-ray detectors, that could automatically analyze and identify minerals and phases, within multiple samples.

By 1987, CSIRO's systems began to be sold commercially. In the 1990s, scientists improved the QEM*SEM technological platform, running the system on a digital SEM within a Windows-based PC environment. This innovation created the first QEMSCAN system in 1997.

Intellection Pty Ltd was launched by CSIRO in October 2003, after 20 years of comprehensive and rigorous scientific research and discovery, to better market, develop and support its unique mineral and material analysis technology.

On January 5, 2009, FEI announced the purchase of selected assets from Intellection, including all QEMSCAN software and intellectual property. FEI contracted selected technical personnel from Intellection, and opened a Centre of Excellence facility in Brisbane, Australia.

The Intellection asset purchase is the result of FEI's determination to further develop automated mineralogy technology and continuously increase the value it delivers to natural resource companies, service providers and research institutes.