Automated Quantitative Rare Earth Elements Mineralogy by Scanning Electron Microscopy

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Sindern ◽  
F. Michael Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Image Analysis ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Textural Properties ◽  
Mineral Matter ◽  
Quantitative Mineralogy ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
Scanning Electron

AbstractIncreasing industrial demand of rare earth elements (REEs) stems from the central role they play for advanced technologies and the accelerating move away from carbon-based fuels. However, REE production is often hampered by the chemical, mineralogical as well as textural complexity of the ores with a need for better understanding of their salient properties. This is not only essential for in-depth genetic interpretations but also for a robust assessment of ore quality and economic viability. The design of energy and cost-efficient processing of REE ores depends heavily on information about REE element deportment that can be made available employing automated quantitative process mineralogy.Quantitative mineralogy assigns numeric values to compositional and textural properties of mineral matter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with a suitable software package for acquisition of backscatter electron and X-ray signals, phase assignment and image analysis is one of the most efficient tools for quantitative mineralogy. The four different SEM-based automated quantitative mineralogy systems, i.e. FEI QEMSCAN and MLA, Tescan TIMA and Zeiss Mineralogic Mining, which are commercially available, are briefly characterized.Using examples of quantitative REE mineralogy, this chapter illustrates capabilities and limitations of automated SEM-based systems. Chemical variability of REE minerals and analytical uncertainty can reduce performance of phase assignment. This is shown for the REE phases parisite and synchysite. In another example from a monazite REE deposit, the quantitative mineralogical parameters surface roughness and mineral association derived from image analysis are applied for automated discrimination of apatite formed in a breakdown reaction of monazite and apatite formed by metamorphism prior to monazite breakdown.SEM-based automated mineralogy fulfils all requirements for characterization of complex unconventional REE ores that will become increasingly important for supply of REEs in the future.

Rare Earth Mineral and its Geological Significances in the WZD Bauxite, Northern Guizhou, China

2013 ◽  
Vol 868 ◽  
pp. 92-95
Author(s):  
Tao Cui
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Forming Process ◽  
Rare Earth Mineral ◽  
Element Enrichment ◽  
Scanning Electron

Through the research on Rare earth mineral by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) we found that Rare earth mineral in the lower part of the Wuchuan-Zheng,an-Daozhen (WZD) bauxite profiles is parisite. The parisite in WZD area is long strips, with an average length of 30μm. The underlying strata of the boreholes which contain parisite all are the Hanjiadian Formation. The occurrence of parisite shows that in the forming process of bauxite rare earth elements (REE) moved from top to the bottom of the profile, and other unbeneficial elements also moved from top to bottom too, Al element enrichment in the middle and upper part of profiles.

Synthesis, Structure Refinement and Conductivity of Ln2-xCdxMoO6-x/2

2015 ◽  
Vol 230 ◽  
pp. 45-50
Author(s):  
E.I. Get`man ◽  
K.A. Chebyshev ◽  
L.I. Ardanova ◽  
L.V. Pasechnik
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Ftir Spectroscopy ◽  
Structure Refinement ◽  
Conductivity Measurements ◽  
Cubic Structure ◽  
Scanning Electron

Substitution rare-earth elements for cadmium in the monoclinic compounds Ln2MoO6 (Ln – Gd, Ho) leads to the formation of fluorite-related cubic structure. Series Ln2xCdxMoO6x/2 was investigated by XRD (with structure refinement), scanning electron microscopy, FTIR-spectroscopy and conductivity measurements.

scholarly journals Microtubule organization within mitotic spindles revealed by serial block face scanning electron microscopy and image analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (10) ◽  
pp. 1845-1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faye M. Nixon ◽  
Thomas R. Honnor ◽  
Nicholas I. Clarke ◽  
Georgina P. Starling ◽  
Alison J. Beckett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Image Analysis ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Microtubule Organization ◽  
Face Scanning ◽  
Block Face ◽  
Scanning Electron

Measuring Coral Skeletal Architecture Using Image Analysis v1

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowan Mclachlan ◽  
Ashruti Patel ◽  
Andrea G Grottoli
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Image Analysis ◽  
Scleractinian Coral ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Energy Materials ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Coral Skeletons ◽  
Skeletal Structures ◽  
Scanning Electron

Coral morphology is influenced by genetics, the environment, or the interaction of both, and thus is highly variable. This protocol outlines a non-destructive and relatively simple method for measuring Scleractinian coral sub-corallite skeletal structures (such as the septa length, theca thickness, and corallite diameter, etc.) using digital images produced as a result of digital microscopy or from scanning electron microscopy. This method uses X and Y coordinates of points placed onto photomicrographs to automatically calculate the length and/or diameter of a variety of sub-corallite skeletal structures in the Scleractinian coral Porites lobata. However, this protocol can be easily adapted for other coral species - the only difference may be the specific skeletal structures that are measured (for example, not all coral species have a pronounced columella or pali, or even circular corallites). This protocol is adapted from the methods described in Forsman et al. (2015) & Tisthammer et al. (2018). There are 4 steps to this protocol: 1) Removal of Organic Tissue from Coral Skeletons 2) Imaging of Coral Skeletons 3) Photomicrograph Image Analysis 4) Calculation of Corallite Microstructure Size This protocol was written by Dr. Rowan McLachlan and was reviewed by Ashruti Patel and Dr. Andréa Grottoli. Acknowledgments Leica DMS 1000 and Scanning Electron Microscopy photomicrographs used in this protocol were acquired at the Subsurface Energy Materials Characterization and Analysis Laboratory (SEMCAL), School of Earth Sciences at The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA. I would like to thank Dr. Julie Sheets, Dr. Sue Welch, and Dr. David Cole for training me on the use of these instruments.

scholarly journals Improved imaging and analysis of chlorite in reservoirs and modern day analogues: new insights for reservoir quality and provenance

2018 ◽  
Vol 484 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Worden ◽  
James E. P. Utley ◽  
Alan R. Butcher ◽  
J. Griffiths ◽  
L. J. Wooldridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Reservoir Quality ◽  
Phase Identification ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Quantitative Mineralogy ◽  
Digital Format ◽  
Scanning Electron

AbstractChlorite is a key mineral in the control of reservoir quality in many siliciclastic rocks. In deeply buried reservoirs, chlorite coats on sand grains prevent the growth of quartz cements and lead to anomalously good reservoir quality. By contrast, an excess of chlorite – for example, in clay-rich siltstone and sandstone – leads to blocked pore throats and very low permeability. Determining which compositional type is present, how it occurs spatially, and quantifying the many and varied habits of chlorite that are of commercial importance remains a challenge. With the advent of automated techniques based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it is possible to provide instant phase identification and mapping of entire thin sections of rock. The resulting quantitative mineralogy and rock fabric data can be compared with well logs and core analysis data. We present here a completely novel Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN®) SEM–energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) methodology to differentiate, quantify and image 11 different compositional types of chlorite based on Fe : Mg ratios using thin sections of rocks and grain mounts of cuttings or loose sediment. No other analytical technique, or combination of techniques, is capable of easily quantifying and imaging different compositional types of chlorite. Here we present examples of chlorite from seven different geological settings analysed using QEMSCAN® SEM–EDS. By illustrating the reliability of identification under automated analysis, and the ability to capture realistic textures in a fully digital format, we can clearly visualize the various forms of chlorite. This new approach has led to the creation of a digital chlorite library, in which we have co-registered optical and SEM-based images, and validated the mineral identification with complimentary techniques such as X-ray diffraction. This new methodology will be of interest and use to all those concerned with the identification and formation of chlorite in sandstones and the effects that diagenetic chlorite growth may have had on reservoir quality. The same approach may be adopted for other minerals (e.g. carbonates) with major element compositional variability that may influence the porosity and permeability of sandstone reservoirs.

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