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Metallurgical Analysis: Bruker’s handheld XRF Guns Facilitate Waste Processing and Metal Recovery

SX/EW

Almost 30% of the copper (Cu) produced in the US is produced using leach-solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX/EW). Not even 20 years old, the process of converting sulfur dioxide from smelter acids into sulfuric acid to be used to produce Cu from mine waste and oxidized ores has become known as an environmentally friendly process. Not only does it neutralize the waste from the smelting process, it takes considerably less energy to operate this practice. SX/EW can be made more effective and hundreds of hours can be saved by obtaining instantaneous results with handheld XRF. Monitoring your electrolyte solutions, raffinates and pregnant leach solutions can take hours to titrate or days for the lab. Having the ability to monitor these processes on the fly allows you to make the necessary adjustments to allow you to maximize recovery. Whether you’re monitoring your leaching process or examining your electrowinning process, handheld XRF provides quick analyses to determine what changes can be made to maximize recovery. Contact our experts for an instant response!

Hydrometallurgy

It is not just a luxury, it is a necessity to have a handheld XRF to analyze all stages of metals recovery.  Liberating metals is no easy task. Liquid solutions can be analyzed to identify the effectiveness of your process at every stage. With handheld XRF not only do you have the ability to monitor each process, you have the ability to view the raw data which enables you to see anomalies and determine your next course of action in trying to recover your targeted metals. Is your gold (Au) bound up with your selenium (Se)? XRF analysis can help answer these types of questions to help you determine your next course of action in recovery of precious or base metals.

Pyrometallugy

Since x-ray fluorescence is nondestructive, without hesitation you can identify the zoning effects of a bar you’ve created to verify the effectiveness of your process. Does your flux need to be changed to be more effective during smelting? Handheld XRF can allow you to instantaneously monitor various phases so you can make the necessary changes to get rid of impurities as efficiently as possible.

Handheld XRF analyzers are not just a convenience, they are a nondestructive means of controlling your process from beginning to end to make you more efficient and effective in which ever extraction process you are engaged in. With today’s high prices of precious metals, you cannot afford to lose time. XRF analyzers can allow you to make real time decisions to enable you to make real time profit. Contact our experts now to discuss your analysis needs and benefits!