In-field mineral identification: Easier than ever

Did you know that a single 3MW wind turbine requires 335 tons of steel, 4.7 tons of copper, 3 tons of aluminum, and 2 tons of rare-earth elements? From turbines to smartphones, many of today’s technologies require large quantities of minerals – not just steel, copper, and aluminum, but also lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt. As the world adopts solutions such as electric vehicles and renewable energy, we’ll need more of these minerals than ever before – and we’ll need mining to obtain them.

But many of these materials are hard to source and, until recently, were often mined only in small quantities. As demand for these commodities continues to grow, mining companies are increasingly exploring new deposits in order to secure adequate future supplies. Throughout the exploration process, it’s essential to be able to understand a deposit’s commercial value – and this requires enough data to build an in-depth understanding of geological conditions at the prospective sites.

NIR: Safe, rapid, reliable

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) can help researchers gain these insights. A well-established technique, it’s rapid, reliable, safe, and easy to use in the field. NIR measures the light scattered off and through a sample using the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum (about 700 – 2,500 nanometers). In this way, it creates a ‘fingerprint’ of the sample, enabling researchers to determine its properties and mineralogical composition.

As well as being non-destructive, NIR also requires little to no sample preparation and can analyze multiple constituents in a single scan. Mining companies can use NIR to determine the mineralogy of outcrops, hand specimens, and core and drill chips in the field and, in turn, the geometallurgical properties of the ore. In this way, they can quickly identify valuable deposits and build more efficient block models for decision-making and mine planning.

ASD TerraSpec Halo: An all-in-one NIR solution

And, at Malvern Panalytical, we offer a world-class NIR solution to make identifying minerals in the field easier than ever: the ASD TerraSpec Halo. This full-range handheld spectrometer provides results for a wide range of materials in a matter of seconds, directly on your instrument. And, because the TerraSpec Halo adapts easily to different environments, it allows researchers to capture data quickly in the field and manage it back in the lab.

What’s more, the TerraSpec Halo’s full integration with mineral identification software means there’s no need for third-party devices or cables – everything you need is on one lightweight, robust device. This includes data management software to help you review and analyze your results, confidence ratings and spectral scalars, and GPS and voice memos.

Continually guiding your exploration efforts

In fact, we offer several NIR instruments, including the portable, rugged TerraSpec 4, the over-the-belt QualitySpec 7000 for in-line process control, and the FieldSpec 4 to support remote sensing. In this way, we provide our customers with a single NIR technology platform for every step of their mining operation. Using these solutions, mining companies will be able to explore new deposits more easily than ever – ensuring that we all continue to benefit from the minerals that will drive our future.

To find out more about the TerraSpec Halo® and our other materials analysis solutions for mining, please visit our dedicated web pages or contact Uwe Konig.