Combining Automated Mineralogy with X-ray Computed Tomography for Internal Characterization of Ore Samples at the Microscopic Scale

Abstract

Advanced chemical and mineralogical techniques are necessary to further our understanding of ore deposits and their genesis. Using X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) and an automated mineralogy (AM) system based on scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX), we investigated the internal mineralogy of Sn-Nb-Ta pegmatites. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology to quantify and visualize the mineral relationships of ore samples in three-dimensional space at the microscopic scale. A list of all possible minerals present, a This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review and is subject to Springer Nature's AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of