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X‐Ray fluorescence applied to the on‐stream analysis of sulphide ore fractions
Author(s) -
Reed D. J.,
Gillieson A. H.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.1300010207
Subject(s) - slurry , beneficiation , gangue , zinc , copper , iron ore , metallurgy , copper ore , streams , x ray fluorescence , chemistry , mineralogy , materials science , fluorescence , computer network , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , composite material
Factors affecting the on‐stream analysis of sulphide ore slurries have been investigated for a number of copper‐zinc ores. Zinc, copper and iron were counted on streams of various solids contents, but, because of equipment limitations, sulphur was determined by calculation and the gangue, regarded as silica, by difference. Two simple correction factors were used: the ratio of Rayleigh scatter from the stream under investigation to that from water was found to vary as the cube root of the per cent solids in the stream, and the product of two ratios was adequate to relate the intensity of the characteristic radiation from streams of other solids contents to a 30 per cent stream which was used as a reference in this work. These factors made it possible to calculate the zinc, copper and iron in the solids fractions of ore slurries with an accuracy adequate for the control of sulphide ore beneficiation processes. No inter‐element effects were noted, but a marked matrix effect made it necessary to use different correction factors and regression lines for the metals in ore concentrates and in heads and tails.