The introduction of new nitrogen-free X-ray sensors is enabling Intellection to provide safer, faster and more reliable mineral processing tools for the international geoscience business community
Intellection's chief executive officer, Calvin Treacy said the new X-ray sensor technology overcomes the reliance on liquid nitrogen, which is expensive and inherently dangerous.
The new sensors are the latest innovation integrated into Intellection's mineral analysis system, QEMSCAN, which is based on research pioneered by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
QEMSCAN is used in geosciences, metallurgical and materials laboratories and research institutions primarily focused on supporting exploration, production, environmental monitoring and rehabilitation activities in the mining, and oil and gas industries.
The original systems used liquid nitrogen for cooling the X-ray sensors to reduce electrical noise and improve sensitivity, now they can be upgraded to include the new nitrogen-free sensors if desired.
Companies in Australia, India and Chile are already using systems with the new safer nitrogen-free sensors, with other companies such as the US based Phelps Dodge - one of the world's leading producers of copper - planning to upgrade its four systems.
Phelps Dodge spokesman Wolfgang Baum said: "We've had our QEMSCAN systems for several years now and they operate over 20 hours a day, 7 days a week .
"We plan to upgrade all of our systems to safer nitrogen-free systems and it is a significant added bonus that these are also faster and easier to maintain".
Treacy said that as Intellection provides technology systems and solutions for some of the world's largest companies, it operates in an environment of continual innovation.
The company was recently awarded a AUS 5 million Industry grant to evolve the QEMSCAN technology into portable systems that will facilitate swift and accurate mineral sampling, and provide analysis and reporting on location, rather than requiring laboratory analysis.
"Securing the grant means we can make a AUS 10 million research investment and it provides external endorsement of the company's approach to developing systems and solutions for the resources sector, which in Australia alone is worth more than AUS 100 billion in mineral and energy exports", Treacy said.
Currently geoscientists collect rock samples which are then sent to central laboratories where multi-purpose mineral processing devices analyse their composition and generate reports - a procedure that sometimes takes several months.
Intellection's new technology will advance the current solution by automating sample preparation, analysing samples five times faster, using liquid nitrogen-free detectors, and being easy for plant laboratory technicians to use at isolated sites.
