Written by Denice Rice Wednesday, 04 June 2008 14:44
WORLD-FIRST assay technology developed by a WA scientific company has also created the world’s first commercial use for the rare earth element Thulium.
The element is the key to a revolutionary nickel ore analysis technique developed by Osborne Park company X-Ray Flux (XRF).
The technique developed by XRF uses Thulium as an internal reference for the X-ray analysis of nickel ore samples. XRF has been granted a 20-year, worldwide patent on the technology.
XRF managing director David Brown said current X-ray techniques for the analysis of nickel ore were not very accurate and chemical analysis, while more accurate was very expensive and presented considerable safety issues.
“The Thulium method of analysis is much more accurate than current X-ray techniques and is much safer, quicker and 90 per cent cheaper than chemical analysis,” Mr Brown said.
Analysing ore by X-ray requires the ore to be melted and mixed with flux to create a bead that can be X-rayed to determine the ore content. This was usually done by comparing the x-ray with an external reference, however the Thulium technique involves including the Thulium in the bead with the flux as an internal reference.
The internal reference gives a far more accurate analysis of the metal content of ore which can, according to Mr Brown save companies millions of dollars.
“If you have a method that has an accuracy of plus or minus 0.5 per cent when you’re selling the ore you’re giving away up to 0.4 per cent, whereas if you have a method that is accurate to 0.1 per cent, you’ll be giving away next to nothing,” he said.
XRF estimates mining companies can increase their revenue by almost $2 million for every 50 kilo tonnes of 15 per cent concentrate nickel ore they ship.
Mr Brown said that the current global nickel boom meant the technology had the potential for worldwide application and was already being trialled in a number of overseas countries.
The Thulium technique has also been tested, proven and adopted by Australia’s major nickel operations.
Thulium is the least abundant of the naturally occurring rare earth elements and is mainly extracted from the ore monazite. Ninety per cent of the world’s Thulium is mined in Mongolia. Its current world price is about $5 a gram.
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