Modern on-stream X-ray equipment for slurry analysis is now used in hundreds of mines throughout the world. This technique provides valuable information for process control which cannot be achieved by other analytical methods. One of the most recent successful examples is the Brenda Mines, in Canada, where the ARL Process Control X-ray Quantometer (PCXQ) is used for ten different streams in a Cu-Mo concentrator.

The success of slurry analysis is highly dependent upon the analytical method selected, based on the following factors: (i) the features of the analyzed materials, (ii) the concentration ranges, (iii) percent of solids, and (iv) requirements of analytical accuracy and precision. A preliminary investigation of methods and of analytical conditions can be done on a laboratory X-ray spectrometer using solid models of slurry. Such preliminary work significantly simplifies the introduction of the new technology and helps in the preparation of proper specifications.