This project aims to integrate mineralogical and chemical data from various spectral and analytical techniques in order to extract information on element deportment, mineral chemistry, mineral association and other mineral-based information, such as the ability to automatically recognise gold in solid solution, and gold in particles. Digital cameras, short-wave infrared spectrometry and laser Raman spectroscopy will be used to acquire mineralogical data, with chemical information being garnered from laser ICP-MS, pXRF and/or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

During the year data obtained from samples from the Carlin Deposit were acquired testing and validating the ‘fast lines on unpolished cores’ technique against MLA and the micro-XRF (Bruker Tornado). The analyses show that although there are major benefits to the LA-ICP-MS rapid scan technique, full and accurate quantification remains difficult. Part of the issue that is currently being resolved is the cumbersome data processing routines. A new algorithm currently being commercialised with the LADR software platform will make data processing much more accurate and easier.

A spin-off from this work has been the method development by Associate Professor Shaun Barker and Dr Matthew Cracknell on the automatic identification and characterisation of inclusions from LA-ICP-MS data. This side project shows great promise and will be further developed in 2020.

The analysis of the data collected on Hot Chili’s La Productora Deposit in Chile was postponed due to staff availability issues but will be re-examined in 2020.

This project aims to integrate mineralogical and chemical data from various spectral and analytical techniques in order to extract information on element deportment, mineral chemistry, mineral association and other mineral-based information, such as the ability to automatically recognise gold in solid solution, and gold in particles. Digital cameras, short wave infrared spectrometry and laser Raman spectroscopy will be used to acquire mineralogical data, with chemical information being garnered from laser ICP-MS, pXRF and/or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

During the year, data obtained from samples from Hot Chili’s La Productora Deposit in Chile utilising synchrotron, MLA and LA-ICP-MS methods were compared in order to investigate element deportment. Processing is expected to be completed in 2019.

The initial results on these samples suggest that significant challenges remain with producing mineral deportment data from complex samples. In 2018, a new sample set was sourced to further test the integration of mineral chemistry and deportment data from different techniques. A set of samples which have been characterised using the micro-XRF (Bruker Tornado) from the Carlin deposit will be analysed using MLA and LA-ICP-MS in 2019.

This project aims to integrate mineralogical and chemical data from various spectral and analytical techniques in order to extract information on element deportment, mineral chemistry, mineral association and other mineral-based information, such as the ability to automatically recognise gold in solid solution, and gold in particles. Digital cameras, short wave infrared spectrometry and laser Raman spectroscopy will be used to acquire mineralogical data, with chemical information being garnered from laser ICP-MS, pXRF and/or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

Work was ongoing during the year, with scanning of unpolished drill core samples from porphyry deposits. The results were presented at Goldschmidt in August. Cassady Harraden used LA-ICP-MS to estimate Cu sulfides and Au grains in drill core, the results of which form part of her thesis.

This project aims to integrate mineralogical and chemical data from various spectral and analytical techniques in order to extract information on element deportment, mineral chemistry, mineral association and other mineral based information, such as the ability to automatically recognise gold in solid solution, and gold in particles. Digital cameras, short wave infrared spectrometry and laser Raman spectroscopy will be used to acquire mineralogical data, with chemical information being garnered from laser ICP-MS, pXRF and/or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

During the year, various analytical instruments and methods were tested using 12 samples from two deposits. The results were compared using ArcGIS, which was identified to be the best package for this purpose, overlaying data layers for comparative analysis and evaluation.

Whole rock, modal mineralogy and trace element mineral chemistry were acquired using LA-ICPMS rapid (0.3 mm s-1) lines on large unpolished core samples (10-15 cm long). The results gained were very similar to whole rock XRF data, MLA and XRD mineralogical data, and data from conventional LA-ICP-MS spots. Further work on the quantification of uncertainties and resolution of conflicting data sets needs to be conducted before the techniques are validated on other ore deposit types.