Prototype design for gamma activation measurement of gold on conveyor
Project Overview
Project Number
M0500
Total Grant Value
$572,000
Program Area
MRIWA Contribution
$75,000
Project Theme
Processing Technology
Project Period
2017 - 2018
Project completed by CRC ORE: Optimising Resource Extraction which receives allocation of MRIWA funds.
The Challenge
- The gold industry faces a projected future of decreasing grades and increased deposit complexity.
- Detector performance could help maintain optimal performance in mineral processing.
- To achieve this, detectors would need to deliver accurate measurement of gold content in real time for feed moving into a processing circuit
Key Findings
- This research delivered a buildable, costed design for an on-belt gold ore sensing pilot facility delivering direct performance measurement on an operating conveyor.
- The principal components of this system include a high-power X-ray source, detector array, radiation conveyor, and main shield.
- This plan could be directly translated to a site-based trial at a production ore feed rate.
Benefit to WA
- The new technological solution delivered by this research will support improvements in the efficiency and profitability of the Western Australian gold industry.
- As gold mining becomes more efficient and effective, it boosts the Western Australian economy, stimulating import, exports and trade.
Keywords: gamma activation measurement, gold extraction, real-time extraction, on-site
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Page was last reviewed 2 December 2020