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Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.

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Main Author: Cupido, Ivana
Other Authors: Miller, Jodie A.
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2021
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access_status_str Open Access
author Cupido, Ivana
author2 Miller, Jodie A.
author_browse Cupido, Ivana
Miller, Jodie A.
author_facet Miller, Jodie A.
Cupido, Ivana
author_sort Cupido, Ivana
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123892
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:41:45.229Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123892 Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application Cupido, Ivana Miller, Jodie A. Becker, Megan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Earth Sciences. Modal mineralogy -- Analysis Element-to-mineral conversion Mineralogy, Determinative Mineralogy -- Technique UCTD Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The quantification of modal mineralogy has become increasingly important in the modern mining industry due to active mines being forced into mining lower-grade and mineralogically more complex parts of existing ore deposits. The value of a deposit not only depends on the overall grade of the valuable metals, but also on the proportions of its minerals. Since different minerals show different processing behaviour, the modal mineralogy of a deposit governs the liberation, extraction and concentration of the valuable metals. Advances in automated mineralogy technologies such as QEMSCAN has provided a faster and more statistically reliable approach for ore characterization than previous techniques of optical microscopy and point counting. However, automated techniques often require extensive sample preparation, is expensive and time consuming and thus is often only applicable in later stages of a mining project. There exists a need for a technique to determine modal mineralogy that is relatively fast, cost effective and statistically reliable. In this study, element-to-mineral conversion (EMC) has been proposed as an alternative. To apply the EMC approach, the bulk rock chemistry and mineral chemistry of a deposit is required, two measurements performed in the early stages of a mining project. Thus, EMC may provide mineralogical information at the early stages of a mining project where this was previously not possible. Despite being a known technique for decades, it is underused and very rarely applied in the mining industry. The lack of its application may be founded on the absence of a framework for its application in the current literature. In this study, a framework has been developed to guide the decision- making process when applying the EMC approach for modal mineralogy quantification. This framework has been developed through the study and application of the EMC approach to eight different deposits, as sourced from the literature. Where the devised framework was applied and the routine design was optimized, an improvement in the modal mineralogy results and residual elements was observed. From the data compiled from routines developed by the framework, 85.20 % of the data showed a percentage difference of ≤ 30% and a correlation coefficient of ≥ 0.85, compared to 63.07 % for routines where the framework was not applied or only partly applied. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2021-12-02T20:46:54Z 2021-12-22T14:27:29Z 2021-12-02T20:46:54Z 2021-12-22T14:27:29Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123892 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xv, 173 pages : illustrations (some color) application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Modal mineralogy -- Analysis
Element-to-mineral conversion
Mineralogy, Determinative
Mineralogy -- Technique
UCTD
Cupido, Ivana
Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application
title Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application
title_full Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application
title_fullStr Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application
title_short Evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy: the development of a framework for its application
title_sort evaluating the application and limitations of element to mineral conversion to predict modal mineralogy the development of a framework for its application
topic Modal mineralogy -- Analysis
Element-to-mineral conversion
Mineralogy, Determinative
Mineralogy -- Technique
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123892
work_keys_str_mv AT cupidoivana evaluatingtheapplicationandlimitationsofelementtomineralconversiontopredictmodalmineralogythedevelopmentofaframeworkforitsapplication