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Right Solutions · Right Partner alsglobal.com
Quantitative mineralogical servicesGeochemistry
2 | Geochemistry. Quantitative mineralogical services Right Solutions • Right Partner | alsglobal.com
65+ COUNTRIES
40+ YEARS IN OPERATION
350+ LOCATIONS
15k+ STAFF
Company overview
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) based technology including the Mineral Liberation Analyser (MLA) in multiple systems to quantitatively analyse mineral samples for a wide variety of commodities including base and precious metals, coal, coke and ash, mineral sands, iron ore, uranium, rare earth minerals, tin, tungsten, graphite, and more.
The large number of MLA systems enables ALS team to achieve the mineralogical objectives of large
mining processing plant and mine exploration program projects to meet client requirements for highest quality data and rapid data turnaround times.
The laboratory has modern facilities for the representative splitting of samples and preparation of high quality polished mounts for the MLA analysis, and through integration with other ALS laboratories and metallurgical facilities has access to additional facilities for crushing,
sizing, upgrading and chemical assaying of samples providing clients with a comprehensive testing service.
Our mineralogy services team includes mineralogists and graduate geologists with extensive experience in quantitative mineralogy who take pride in working closely with our clients to ensure the delivery of the highest level of service by providing accurate, relevant and timely data.
ALS is an Australian Stock Exchange listed company (ASX:ALQ) that commenced operations in Queensland, Australia as Campbell Brothers in 1863. ALS has over 15,000 staff operating from over 350 locations in more than 65 countries. As one of the largest global analytical laboratory groups, we have facilities strategically located all over the world with key locations in Australia, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
ALS has demonstrated over 40 years of strong business performance with global revenues exceeding $1.6 billion and reputation built on quality, client service, innovation, and technical excellence. The Company continues to remain at the forefront of the testing services industry as a provider of choice on a global scale. Servicing government, multi-national companies, manufacturers, retailers, consultants, and mining companies across the world, ALS processes more than 40 million samples per year and is one of the largest global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) companies.
The Company’s extensive coverage benefits clients through technical leadership, access to emerging technology and regulatory trends, as well as a large pool of technical experts. This is balanced with a local focus to provide ease of use and market-specific knowledge and services.
ALS mineralogy servicesBrisbane based ALS mineralogy services combine highest-quality quantitative mineralogy solutions for consultants, mining-exploration and mining-industry clients in Australia and globally.
Our enviable reputation for delivering quality, accurate results with the highest levels of service and confidentiality keeps us at the forefront of automated quantitative mineralogy analyses using SEM-based technology for the exploration, mining, mineral processing, smelting and environmental industries.
Facilities and Services
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A thorough understanding of the mineral compositions and textures of ores is critical to successful resource exploitation. Quantitative mineralogy can be used to aid process plant design and optimizing resource recoveries and minimizing losses to Tails by:
` Characterizing future ore by analysis of coarse particle samples (e.g., -600 +425 µm) obtained from crushed stope cores. The coarse particle sizes ensure that textures including mineral grain size and association data are preserved.
` Establishing baseline data for the quality of Feed within geological or metallurgical domains by providing mineral association, particle and grain size data. These data can be used to achieve grind size requirements for desired liberation and concentrate grades and to quantify changes for both the host gangue minerals and the valuable minerals of interest. Hardness of Feed can be linked to the concentration of specific gangue minerals and the probability of contamination
Quantitative mineralogy applications
by diluents such as pyrite or minerals bearing penalty elements can be established using the association/locking and liberation data.
` Predicting leaching parameters and leach plant performance through monitoring changes in the abundances of acid-consuming and acid generating minerals in the plant streams.
` Quantifying losses to Tails for both valuable elements that may be contained in insoluble or non-floatable gangue minerals and for valuable minerals (e.g., sulphides, gold) that are caused by changes in mineral abundances, grain sizes or associations in the milled ore resulting in sub-optimal recoveries.
` Quantifying the inherent mineralogical variability associated with deposits having complex weathering profiles and oxidation zones and/or alteration envelopes.
` Characterizing waste rock and back fill for mine remediation planning.
Quantitative mineralogy programs are used by many international and Australian mining companies as part of exploration programs, resource/reserve determinations, prefeasibility/feasibility studies, future ore characterization, mine planning, process plant design, refinement of flow sheets, plant monitoring and plant audits, test-work programs, analysis of smelter products, monitoring losses to tails, and environmental assessments.
4 | Geochemistry. Quantitative mineralogical services Right Solutions • Right Partner | alsglobal.com
XMOD analysis is essentially point counting. Characteristic X-ray spectra are collected at each point intersecting a particle on an evenly spaced grid over a Back-Scatter Electron (BSE) image with background removed. Typically, >100,000 points are collected per sample giving a fast and accurate analysis for mineral abundances of e.g. <0.2 Wt%.
For XMOD analysis the following information is available:
` Mineral List including formulae and assigned compositions.
` Mineral Abundances (Wt%).
` Elemental Distributions – calculated using mineral abundances and compositions.
` Calculated Assays (Wt%).
No textural or grain size data are obtained from the XMOD analysis.
MLA measurement modes, data output and reportingMLA offers several highly customizable measurement modes that can be tailored to suite a wide variety of specific project/program requirements. The MLA analysis is rapid and includes thousands to hundreds of thousands of particles, ensuring the data is representative of the occurrence.
Bulk Mineralogy – X-Ray Modal Analysis (XMOD) Analysis
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XBSE analysis is the most commonly used measurement mode for a wide range of commodities and applications. The XBSE mode uses image analysis to map mineral grain boundaries for all phases based on areas of consistent BSE grey scale value. Following background removal, characteristic X-Ray spectra are collected at the centroid of each grain.
GXMAP analysis combines customized X-ray mapping with
XBSE analysis and is the default measurement mode when minerals of interest or gangue minerals cannot be segmented based solely on BSE because of overlapping BSE greyscale values, as is often the case. BSE greyscale values or mineral X-ray spectra are used to trigger detailed X-ray mapping of phases/grains of interest. Mineral phases which do not trigger X-ray mapping are analyzed by X-Ray spectra collected at the centroid of each grain.
Typically, >10,000 particles and >100,000 X-rays are collected per sample giving a fast and accurate analysis for mineral abundances of e.g. <0.1 Wt%.
Typical examples of the MLA XBSE and GXMAP data output include:
` Mineral List (including formulae, SG, and elemental %).
` Mineral Abundances (Wt%).
` Calculated Assays (Wt%).
Bulk Mineralogy - Extended Liberation Backscatter (XBSE) and Grain-based X-Ray Mapping (GXMAP) Analysis
` Elemental Distributions (valuable, deleterious and penalty elements).
` Particle and Grain Size Distributions (down to <1 µm).
` Mineral Associations, Locking and Liberation.
` Mineral and Element Grade Recovery Curves.
` Filtering of Data (e.g. to establish grain size of locked minerals of interest).
` Coloured Mineral Maps / Line-ups provide qualitative data.
6 | Geochemistry. Quantitative mineralogical services Right Solutions • Right Partner | alsglobal.com
ALS systems include a state-of-the-art Field Emission Gun (FEG) system, which is ideally suited to the quantification of precious metals present as disseminated, fine-grains. The system is used to search large numbers of particles and analyse the grains of precious minerals at very high resolution (< ~0.5 µm). The grains and their host minerals can be quantified and potential recovery methods assessed to determine the reasons for any losses. SPL analyses are highly customizable and can be combined with GXMAP analysis to differentiate and map precious
metals with similar BSE values (e.g. petzite from calaverite or gold from electrum).
The MLA SPL analysis of precious metals provides the following deliverables:
` Minerals of Interest List including formulae and composition e.g. Au in electrum.
` Relative Abundances of the precious metal-bearing minerals.
` Elemental Distribution of elements of interest to mineral groups (related to potential recovery issues).
` Particle and Grain Size Distributions of the precious metal-bearing minerals.
` Mineral Associations, Locking and Liberation data for minerals of interest.
` Filtering of data to provide information about specific groups of minerals or host rock types.
` Coloured Mineral Maps/Line-ups provide qualitative data.
` Representative Labelled Grey-scale SEM Photomicrographs.
Precious Metals – Sparse Phase (SPL) Analysis
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Clients are provided with a range of data reporting options tailored to suite their specific project requirements including spreadsheets of data or formal reports and annotated SEM images.
Most reporting options include the provision of a Data DVD containing image files and data bases with proprietary software to explore the data and images.
Reporting
6 of 8
LiberatedTotal Binary
Total Ternary0102030405060708090
100
+75 +38 +C1-3 +C4-5 Head
69.38
91.95 94.56 96.7190.82
MIN
ERAL
REC
OVER
Y (W
T%)
Chalcopyrite Liberation – Feed (Wt%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Flot Fd +106 Flot Fd +45 Flot Fd +C3 Flot Fd +C5
Grouped Mineral Abundances - Flt Feed (Wt%)
Others
Other Silicates
Phyllosilicates
Sulphates
Carbonates
Oxides
Fe Sulphides
Ag Sulphides
Electrum
Pb Sulphides
Cu Sulphides
Sphalerite
6 of 8
LiberatedTotal Binary
Total Ternary0102030405060708090
100
+75 +38 +C1-3 +C4-5 Head
69.38
91.95 94.56 96.7190.82
MIN
ERAL
REC
OVER
Y (W
T%)
Chalcopyrite Liberation – Feed (Wt%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Flot Fd +106 Flot Fd +45 Flot Fd +C3 Flot Fd +C5
Grouped Mineral Abundances - Flt Feed (Wt%)
Others
Other Silicates
Phyllosilicates
Sulphates
Carbonates
Oxides
Fe Sulphides
Ag Sulphides
Electrum
Pb Sulphides
Cu Sulphides
Sphalerite
FEASIBILITY
DESIGN
EXPLORATION DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCTION MONITORING
TRADINGPILOTING
ANALYSIS
MINE SITEPORT
COAL QUALITY
COAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING
- Fire Assay- Super Trace Elemental Analysis- Whole Rock / Lithogeochemistry- Spectral Mineralogy and Mapping- Core Services
- Physical Characterisation- Mineralogy- Baseline Monitoring
- Bench Testing- Variability Properties- Process Mineralogy
- Optimise Recovery- Optimise Process
- Sample Preparation- Analytical Services- On-Site Metallurgy- Control Alerts- Dust Suppression / Extraction- Laboratory Equipment- Mine Site Laboratories- Mill Control- Grade Control
- Plant / Structural Inspection- Non-Destructive Testing- Condition Monitoring- Oil Analysis- Asset Optimisation- Continuous Improvement- Condition Management- Quality Analysis/Characteristics- Training- Superintending
- Party/Umpire Analysis- Inspection & Surveying- Marine Inspection- Penalty Elements
CLIENTSInventory & Warehousing ALS Webtrieve™ | ALS CoreViewer™
DATA AND QUALITY MANAGEMENTLIMS | OpenLab™
Right Solutions Right Partner
alsglobal.com
GEOCHEMISTRY CLIENT SERVICESAustralia/Asia — BrisbaneT +61 7 3243 7222 E [email protected]
Australia/Asia — PerthT +61 8 9347 3222 E [email protected]
Africa — JohannesburgT +27 11 608 0555 E [email protected]
Brazil — Belo HorizonteT +55 31 3045 8400 E [email protected]
Canada — VancouverT +1 604 984 0221 E [email protected]
Chile — SantiagoT +56 2 2654 6100 E [email protected]
Europe — LoughreaT +353 91 841 741 E [email protected]
Europe — Seville T +34 955 513 035 E [email protected]
Mexico — HermosilloT +52 662 260 7586 E [email protected]
Peru — LimaT +51 1 574 57 00 E [email protected]
Ecuador-QuitoT: +593 2 513 0891E: [email protected]
USA — RenoT +1 775 356 5395 E [email protected]
ALS provides a wide range of specialised testing services covering all stages of your project’s life cycle.
Please visit alsglobal.com for more information on our services and specialties.
` Precious Metals ` Base Metals ` Iron Ore ` Coal ` Lithium ` Copper ` Mineral Sands ` Tungsten and Tin
` Ferrous Ores ` Ferro Alloys ` Ores & Concentrates ` Rare Earths ` Bauxite ` Nickel ` Uranium and Thorium ` Industrial Minerals