Fast and accurate analysers for better process control

An online analyzer is a good investment for most plants. Already in 1991 Jones et al concluded that the typical return of investment was 4.8 – 5.3 months. This is true also today, even for a small copper or zinc producer, and if commodity prices rise the investment will pay off even sooner. For a larger operation the return of investment may be as short as a few weeks.

Many operations prefer Evolution to Revolution and in that viewpoint the Boxray analyzers are a good choice. Well proven technology but in it’s latest form and with higher performance and accuracy than what has been the norm.

Quicker data acquisition allows for better process control. Usually an averaging function over a few samples is used in the control loop. This is fine, but the problem might be that the oldest sample is two or three hours old and simply not relevant any longer. With fast and accurate data there will always be enough relevant data available to allow for good decisions at all times.

Xore’s analyzers are used in a wide range of applications. The slurry applications are the most common ones. Among our Boxray 24 users there is a Zinc operation with an underground mine, with the same productivity as some open pit mines. Or a copper mine with very low head grade that is among the 20 % most productive mines in the world. Both of these operations rely heavily on the process data supplied from their Boxray 24 analyzers. It is also worth noticing that they only use one analyzer in their plants. That speaks for itself when it comes to the quality and performance of our products.

How to handle the water supply to, and discharge from, processing plants is quickly becoming more and more important everywhere. Recycling water is not only good for the environment. In many cases it is also cheaper to reuse water than to pump fresh water from a source, given that it is actually clean when it is reused.

The Boxray Compact has been used to monitor a water treatment process since 2001, so Xore has a long track record in this field. The challenge is that the process water after the first steps of cleaning has very low metal content. However the Boxray analyzers use the latest energy dispersive detector technology with very low detection limits. The data can be used both for manual or automated process control. The investment in an analyzer will pay off by enabling use of the correct amount of chemicals and energy to clean the water.

The added benefit of using the analyzer is that the operation also has a record of the whole treatment process. This makes it easy to follow up environmental permits and regulations as well as CSR goals.

Electrolyte is also a well-proven application with the Boxray Compact in use in an electrolytic refinery since 2001. We also have experience in analyzing leaching solutions for more than five years. The analysis itself is not the big challenge; it is the harsh conditions with aggressive and often warm chemicals. The Boxray analyzers are well equipped to meet the high demands of these applications.

The Boxray analyzers utilize Energy Dispersive XRF technology. The x-ray detector acquires a spectrum and the sample content is calculated from the height of the peaks. Having a complete spectrum is beneficial from many aspects. Adding more elements to the analysis is done by software configuration. By evaluating the spectrum next to the peaks it is possible to make a correct background subtraction.

Another key feature of our technology is the sample excitation achieved by using a secondary x-ray target, and the target changer. This allows us to choose a secondary target most suitable for the analysis to be performed, rather than trying to find a compromise or using direct excitation.

Using a secondary target enables maximum sample excitation with relatively small x-ray power, as it is tailored to the sample. Different targets can be used for different

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