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Advanced Identification and Quantification of In-Bearing Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscope-Based Image Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2017

Kai Bachmann ,
Max Frenzel ,
Joachim Krause  and
Jens Gutzmer
Kai Bachmann*
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Chemnitzer Strasse 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
Max Frenzel
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Chemnitzer Strasse 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
Joachim Krause
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Chemnitzer Strasse 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
Jens Gutzmer
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Chemnitzer Strasse 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany Department of Mineralogy, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Brennhausgasse 14, D-09596 Freiberg, Sachsen, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. K.Bachmann@hzdr.de
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Abstract

The identification and accurate characterization of discrete grains of rare minerals in sulfide base-metal ores is usually a cumbersome procedure due to the small grain sizes (typically <10 μm) and complex mineral assemblages in the material. In this article, a new strategy for finding and identifying indium minerals, and quantifying their composition and abundance is presented, making use of mineral liberation analysis (MLA) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The method was successfully applied to polymetallic massive sulfide ores from the Neves-Corvo deposit in Portugal. The presence of roquesite and sakuraiite could be systematically detected, their concentration quantified by MLA measurements, and their identity later confirmed by EPMA analyses. Based on these results, an almost complete indium deportment could be obtained for the studied samples. This validates the approach taken, combining automated mineralogy data with electron microprobe analysis. A similar approach could be used to find minerals of other common minor and trace elements in complex base-metal sulfide ores, for example Se, Ge, Sb, or Ag, thus permitting the targeted development of resource technologies suitable for by-product recovery.

Keywords

MLAindiumNeves-Corvoroquesitesakuraiite
Type
Materials Science Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , June 2017 , pp. 527 - 537
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2017 

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