Quantifying mineral grain size distributions for process modelling using X-ray micro-tomography

Recent advances at JKMRC in modelling mineral liberation required the development of a method to measure ore textural characteristics such as the mineral grain size distribution and the spatial location of mineral grains in three dimensions. This paper describes the development of this method which uses X-ray micro-tomography to provide three-dimensional (3D) measurement of the grain size distribution and spatial location of the minerals in an ore. The methodology was developed on a gold-bearing pyrite ore and used to quantify the textural characteristics which are key inputs for modelling mineral liberation in this ore during comminution. The measurement and image processing steps required to quantify the grain size distribution of the mineral of interest, pyrite, are described together with the image analysis method. The quantification of 3D mineral characteristics together with corresponding two-dimensional (2D) sections through the same particle, provided the opportunity to explore the relationship between 2D and 3D grain size data. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.