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A Radioisotope On-Stream Analyzer for the Mining Industry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

M. Hifetala  and
J. Viitanen
M. Hifetala
Affiliation:
Outokumpu Oy, Institute of Physics, 02200 Espoo 20, Finland
J. Viitanen
Affiliation:
Outokumpu Oy, Technical Export Division, 02200 Espoo 20, Finland
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Abstract

A distributed on-line analyzing system has been developed for automatic multielemental analysis of mineral slurries and solutions. The elements to be measured should be heavier than potassium. The system consists of measuring probes, a communication loop and a minicomputer with its peripherals. The measuring probe may either be directly immersed into the process stream or it is used with a sample cell in a by-line stream. Measuring probes are located at separate positions in the process. The measurement is based on X-ray fluorescence radiation which is excited with a sealed radioisotope source. The radiation is detected with a sealed high resolution proportional counter without filters. Spectrum stripping is based on reference samples which are measured in a computer controlled sequence in the same geometry as the sample. Thus possible instabilities in gain and resolution are under control. Chemical assays and slurry density are calculated from fluorescence and backscatter intensities. The minicomputer also controls the probes in the system and gives reports.

Type
Research Article
Information
Advances in X-Ray Analysis , Volume 21: Twenty-Sixth Annual Conference on Applications of X-ray Analysis, August 3-5, 1977 , 1977 , pp. 193 - 205
Copyright
Copyright © International Centre for Diffraction Data 1977

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References

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