Bruker M4 TORNADOAMICS
Automated Mineral Analyser for Geology and Mining
The Bruker M4 TORNADOAMICS brings together:
- Ultra-fast elemental distribution analysis from Bruker’s M4 TORNADO micro-XRF spectrometer
- Mineral identification and classification with AMICS software (Advanced Mineral Identification and Characterisation System).
Analyse both thin sections and large geological samples such as drill cores and hand samples down to micrometer scale. Samples can be measured without preparation, at low to atmospheric pressure.
Acquire mineral phase results in the shortest time frame, and determine modal mineralogy, mineral distribution and calculated assay of geological samples.
Features
- Comprehensive database for fast mineral identification
- Automate runs of multiple samples
- Offline processing, re-classification and customised mineral groupings
- Export data easily for reports
- Centimetre scale mineral analysis and micrometer resolution
- Identify mineral phases by X-ray analysis without the cost or complexity of SEM
- Little or no sample preparation
Contact us on +44 (0)1223 422 269 or info@blue-scientific.com for advice and quotes.
Mineral phase map of a large drill core. Mineral ID and classification took 13 hours 20 mins, with minerals classified at every pixel. The zoomed images are extracted from the original map.
Faster and Easier than Alternative Methods
Limitations of Traditional Methods
With a light microscope, results can be acquired quickly, but the technique requires sample preparation and an experienced mineralogist. Minerals can also not be identified with certainty.
SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) with EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry) can also be used to determine mineralogy. However, SEM-EDS mineral analysers are expensive, with high running costs. There is extensive sample preparation, involving carbon coating.
Sample preparation takes time and money. Once the sample is prepared, SEM-EDS can take a day to measure more than a couple of square centimeters, even with the fastest systems.
Advantages of Micro-XRF
Micro-XRF overcome these limitations. Large samples can be analysed quickly; measure areas up to 190 mm x 160 mm with a high spatial resolution down to < 20 μm. This gives you information about the statistical and spatial distribution of minerals across larger samples much faster than alternative methods. In addition to this, there is little or no sample preparation.
While traditional quantification methods can take hours, AMICS software is built to handle large data sets, taking only minutes to reprocess sample files with over 500,000 pixels – containing image, spectra, mineral identification and classification data.
- Comparable results to SEM-EDS, MLA and QEMSCAN down to micron scale
- In ore body development you can capture the (uncrushed) sample texture – not possible with SEM analysis due to the size of the sample.
- Make informed decisions in selecting samples for more time-consuming SEM-EDS analysis
AMICS software, showing the mineral class list, map, X-ray points and spectrum
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