Innovations in Process Mineralogy and Laboratory Automation

摘要

Changes inherent in lower grade, finer grained, deeper, harder and more complex ores in concert with mushrooming costs for power, water, steel and environmental aspects have transformed the view and use of mineralogy during the last 20 years. Robotics sample preparation, automated mineral analyzers, high volume X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, and large-scale use of near infrared (NIR) are only some examples of massive innovations which have changed the laboratory and plant operation in mining. These changes have initiated the robust application of quantitative and automated mineralogy as a pivotal planning, optimizing and production control tool. Mineralogy has become equally as critical as analytical chemistry and metallurgical testing. Step-change technology with fully automated central labs has emerged at various mining companies. The pioneering installation of fully integrated partially automated mineralogy mine site labs was advanced in the copper and gold industry. Additional laboratory technology such as laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), or cross belt neutron analysis (CNA) and the increasing use of other cross belt analyzers are initiating more innovative transformation in ore characterization and plant control. This paper will highlight the extraordinary innovations which have been implemented by process mineralogists during the last two decades.