Course content

This course discusses process mineralogy and the main techniques used in the field. The course aims to provide students with experience in process mineralogy as a tool for evaluating a mineral raw material's (ores and industrial minerals) suitability for further mineral processing and metallurgy, as well as describing the content of valuable and harmful minerals. The main teaching environment will be lectures and laboratory exercises. The lectures will discuss topics related to important properties of mineral raw materials, like mineralogy, texture and mineral liberation properties. The lectures will also give an introduction to the principles of the most important analytical tools related to the field, including polarized light microscopy, SEM, EPMA, XRF and XRD. SEM based automated mineralogical analyses will be used in more detail. During laboratory exercises, emphasis will be on mineral characterization methods and important properties of mineral raw materials related to the processing. The main focus will be on using the polarized light microscope and automated mineralogical analyses in SEM. However, there will also be practical exercises related to other important analytical equipment, for example EPMA, XRF and XRD. Examples from Norwegian mineral deposits will be used. An important part of the course is the project assignment, where the problem to be solved will be of industrial or research relevance and require use of knowledge, methods and tools thought during the course.

Learning outcome

Competence

After completing the course, the student should be able to

• Apply process mineralogical principles to plan and carry out process mineralogical investigations
• Discuss and communicate the significance of process mineralogy as a tool for the design, optimization, and troubleshooting of mineral processing circuits
• Discuss and communicate the importance of mineralogy in the use of minerals and rocks for various industrial applications
• Explain the key quality parameters underlying process mineralogical assessment of a mineral raw material, including mineral chemistry, mineralogy, mineral texture, and liberation characteristics
• Explain the principles of the main tools used in process mineralogical investigations, including the polarizing microscope, automated mineralogy in SEM, EPMA, XRF, and XRD

Knowledge and Skills

After completing the course, the student should

• Understand mineral properties and the relationship between mineral properties and processing methods
• Be familiar with various analytical methods used to investigate and map mineralogical properties
• Be able to plan an investigation of a given mineral deposit based on information about the problem
• Be able to use key process mineralogy tools to carry out an investigation and evaluate the results in relation to a given mineral processing method
• Be able to use the polarizing microscope as a tool for mineralogical investigation of mineral raw materials
• Use mineral chemistry-, mineralogical-, and textural data to assess the quality of a mineral raw material

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, compulsory practical laboratory exercises, project report, possibility for excursion. If the number of registered students are 3 or less, the course may be offered as a self study based on the same course material. The course is evaluated by a reference group.

Compulsory assignments

• Project report
• Exercises

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

It is recommended that the students have fulfilled the course TGB4227 Mineral Production, Basic Course or TGB4301 Mineral Processing, Basic Course.

Required previous knowledge

The course requires admission to one of the stated study programmes, or approval from the course coordinator.

TGB4112 Geology and Geological Resources of Norway or equivalent course. TGB4125 Mineralogy or TGB4126 Mineralogy, Basic Course. TGB4115 Mineral Deposit Geology. It is an absolute requirement that the students have previous knowledge in polarization microscopy equivalent to what is taught in courses TGB4125 / TGB4126 ( this course includes transmitted light microscopy) and TGB4115 (this course includes reflected light microscopy).

Course materials

Selected books, available material in Canvas and lectures.

Credit reductions