X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Specific application – Absorption
Patent
1998-02-23
2000-09-19
Bruce, David V.
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Specific application
Absorption
378 51, 209589, G01N 2306
Patent
active
061223433
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for analysing a material produced in the minerals industry to obtain information on the composition, type, or form of the material.
UK patent application GB 2083618 in the name of Outokumpu Oy describes a method and apparatus for analysing ore which is based on the use of two sources of gamma radiation each having different levels of energy. In accordance with the disclosure in the UK patent application, lumps/particles of ore are allowed to fall, one by one, past an assembly which comprises two pairs of sources of gamma radiation and an energy dispersive detector. The gamma radiation sources and the detector are positioned so that the detector receives back-scattered radiation. The passage on column 1 lines 99-113 describes that:
"Thus the essential feature of the invention is that a piece of rock or other ore sample is irradiated by means of two .gamma.-ray sources each having a different intensity of energy. The energy of one is selected so that the Compton effect is predominant. The energy of the other is selected so that the photoelectric effect and the Compton effect compete with each other. The photoelectric effect is strongly dependent on the ordinal number of the element (i.e. its atomic number), whereas the Compton effect is independent of the ordinal number. By measuring the ratio of the intensities of these two scatters having different levels of energy, a quantity is obtained which represents the proportion of heavy elements in the rock."
Accordingly, the UK patent application relies on dual energy gamma radiation to determine the proportion of heavy elements in a lump/particle of ore and this information provides a basis to distinguish valuable ore from gangue.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for analysing a feed material produced in the minerals industry.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of analysing a material produced in the minerals industry which comprises the following steps: at the different photon energies to minimise the effects of non-compositional factors on the data and thereby to obtain from the processed data information on the composition, type, or form of the material.
The term "material" is understood herein to mean any material produced in the minerals industry, including, but not limited to, ores, minerals, or fossil fuels.
The material may be in an as-mined or in a processed form. For example, depending on the particular mineral deposit, the material may be in the form of, but not limited to, particles, lumps, fines, rocks, conglomerates, agglomerates, or aggregates.
The term "analysing" is understood herein in the broadest context and includes, but is not limited to, analysing a material for the purpose of detecting the presence of particular constituents of the material, identifying/measuring the constituents of the material, and discriminating between different constituents of the material.
The term "non-compositional factors" is understood herein to include factors such as the density and/or the thickness of a material which, together with the composition of the material, affect the absorption/transmission of x-rays that are incident on the material.
The present invention is based on the realisation that there is a wide range of applications in the minerals industry in which multiple (particularly dual) energy x-ray analysis can be used to minimise the effects of non-compositional factors on data generated in x-ray analysis of a material, which factors would otherwise make it difficult to obtain information on the composition, type, or form of the material by means of analysis of that data. The technique of dual energy x-ray analysis is based on processing data of detected transmitted x-rays obtained at different photon energies. Such processing makes it possible to minimise the effects of non-compositional factors on the detected data so that the detected data provides clearer information on the composition, type, or form of the mat
REFERENCES:
patent: 3452192 (1969-06-01), Hanken
patent: 4090073 (1978-05-01), De Villiers et al.
patent: 4090074 (1978-05-01), Watt et al.
patent: 4910758 (1990-03-01), Herrick
Bruce David V.
Schwartz Michael J.
Technological Resources Pty Limited
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