SAMPLING , ANALYSIS AND LAB ASSAY
IMA Engineering has now delivered AutoSampler Underground systems to five underground mines on tunnelling and longhole drill jumbos
tunnelling and longhole drill jumbos .”
On top of this , the company has also developed a new sample handling and analysis system for improved AutoSampler sample turnaround at underground mines .
In the plant , IMA Engineering has been making great headway on deploying the same XRF-based technology platform used on its conveyor beltbased technology for slurry sampling control and analysis through its IMACON 100 system . Auranen said several units had been technically accepted over the last 12 months ,
with two new systems being manufactured ahead of installations later this year .
“ Most applications for the IMACON 100 system are in greenfield plants , with IMA working with EPC ( engineering , procurement and construction ) contractors for sampling and layout engineering ,” he clarified .
IMA promotes the use of an integrated sampling setup in the plant where its FCA cross belt analyser can be installed after the primary crusher with the on-stream IMACON 100 analyser being positioned downstream in the concentrator for complete grade reconciliation .
“ We carried out a study a few years back and , just by having an FCA analyse the feed in this integrated setup , the recovery expectations increased by 1-2 %,” Auranen said .
“ We are continuously developing sampling and analysis solutions and methods ,” he concluded , referencing IMA ’ s participation in the EU-funded Horizon 2020 project , illuMINEation .
Quick off the Blocks
Another company looking to shake up the status quo in the sampling space is ColdBlock Technologies .
Canada-based ColdBlock says it sets a new standard for sample digestion with the first and only sample digestion technology that uses focused , short-wave infrared heating and a cooling zone to dissolve solid sample matter into solution .
A superior alternative to conventional hot block and microwave digestion technologies , ColdBlock digestion is a simple process , completed in minutes , with equal or better accuracy and precision , and better workplace safety than the incumbent technologies , it says .
Sample digestion is a standard process used in nearly all analytical labs . In mining , digestion is used to decompose a solid sample into a liquid state by dissolving it using energy ( infrared in this case ) and reagents that can include a number of acids . ColdBlock digestion takes this necessary step for multi-element analysis of the sample and does it faster , safer and more cost effectively than traditional approaches .
Sample digestion for base metals – the necessary first step prior to analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy , optical emission spectroscopy or mass spectrometry – has traditionally used hot block technology . Digestion with a hot block is a process involving an electric heating element with a range of configurations and typically takes 2-4 hours for adequate sample digestion . ColdBlock ’ s technology significantly improves on this with a digestion process that takes just 15-30 minutes , according