This study characterised and quantified microwave induced crack damage in sphalerite ore particles by applying X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) and auto-SEM (QEMSCAN) analysis. Ore particles representing small (-5+4.75) mm, medium (-16+9.5) mm, and large (-25+19) mm HPGR and cone crushed particles were microwave treated at specific microwave heating energies of between 1-3kWh/t. Image segmentation, thresholding and spatial registration techniques were used to study crack patterns in the X-ray CT 3D images. The results showed the presence of microwave induced cracks within the cone and HPGR microwave treated particles in both X-ray CT and QEMSCAN images. The cracks consist of both interphase trans-granular and grain boundary cracks. Both X-ray CT and QEMSCAN analysis results showed that microwave treatment resulted in a significant increase in crack volume for both modes of prior comminution at all sizes all particle sizes.
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