Advanced Techniques for Mineral Analysis - 2019 entry

This module introduces you to the main analytical techniques used to analyse rock and minerals in mining geology and minerals processing. It also gives you practical experience of the techniques available in CSM and will help you to devise analytical strategies and to evaluate results during exploration, mining and processing, environmental work and in academic studies. The module contains a group project and is very helpful if you do analytical work done as part of the MSc research project.

This module is designed to give you practical experience and a theoretical understanding of the main analytical methods applied in mining geology and mineral processing. It also aims to enable choice of the most appropriate analytical methods and strategies for routine analysis and for research. Furthermore, it teaches you best practice in sampling design, data handling and quality control.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the main geochemical analytical techniques, including most recent innovations, and their application to exploration and production geology and minerals processing;

2. Show knowledge of sampling, data handling and quality control techniques.

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

3. Carry out analyses on a range of equipment;

4. Devise analytical strategies according to the nature of material being analysed and results required.

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

5. Critically evaluate and interpret analytical results;

6. Make decisions in complex situations and evaluate the outcome;

7. Work in a team in whilst tackling new problems.

Lectures:

- Consideration of the characteristics of mineral and rock samples and other materials relevant to and minerals engineering;

- Sampling techniques;

- Processing results;

- Whole sample chemistry X-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, portable XRF, atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry;

- Whole sample analysis by mineral structure, X-ray diffraction plus very brief introduction to transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron techniques;

- Spatially-resolved techniques SEM and electron beam microanalysis;

- Spatially-resolved techniques QEMSCAN (MLA);

- Other techniques:, Raman spectroscopy, fluid inclusion analysis;

- Geometallurgy;

- Presentations and comparison of the practical results.

 

Practical sessions:

- Sample preparation including minerals separation, thin sections, crushing and grinding;

- Scanning electron microscopy / energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis;

- Electron probe wavelength-dispersive microanalysis;

- Optical microscopy, cold cathodoluminescence;

- QEMSCAN quantitative mineralogy;

- X-ray fluorescence;

- X-ray diffraction;

- Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

 

As above.

Basic reading:

A range of current recently published papers is available on ELE                                                     

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Reading list for this module: