The use of QEMSCAN in practical gold deportment studies

W. R. Goodall*1 and A. R. Butcher2

Gold deportment and ore characterisation studies are key tools in gaining an appropriate understanding of complex gold ores for process development and optimisation. These studies have historically involved imprecise chemical methods with slow and costly optical microscopy for gold identification. The traditional approach requires highly skilled petrographers, is prone to human error, and is not scalable, reducing the usefulness in practical analysis. The proposed methodology utilises a decision tree and knowledge base in a staged approach to gold ore characterisation building-up progressively more detailed information about the sample mineralogy, gold deportment and key mineral properties, as the process is followed. While the automated QEMSCAN system is used for mineral and gold identification, interactive and focused data analyses are used to give more efficient and accurate results. This is complemented by smart sample preparation and chemical methods to enhance and validate the data, making the staged approach methodology reliable, scalable and therefore, practical and economical.
Keywords: Gold deportment and ore characterisation, Process development and optimisation

This paper is part of a special issue on Australian gold processing

Introduction
The practice of ore characterisation and gold deportment analysis has been an integral part of process evaluation and optimisation in countless gold operations around the world. As technology advances and the minimum cutoff grade for gold subsequently decreases, it becomes increasingly more important to develop a comprehensive understanding of the ore materials early in process evaluation. The need is further enhanced by the growing rarity of free milling oxide gold deposits and increasing complexity of available targets, which require a clearer understanding to become economically viable. Deposit specic information is often best determined by a rigorous programme of ore characterisation and gold deportment analysis that can form a signicant portion of the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies. If such studies are not performed correctly, it can have farreaching consequences on ultimate process viability.

Versatility in ore characterisation

Ore characterisation and gold deportment studies can take many different forms and are generally specically designed to address the needs of the deposit and stage of process development. Varying approaches are required depending on whether the project is for ore evaluation in exploration, process design at the feasibility study stage, process optimisation, troubleshooting, or in tailings material evaluation. Exploration projects and processing
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projects require unique data outputs to allow for the differing available information and requirements for how the data will be applied. Historically, gold deportment studies have focused heavily on metallurgical information and to some extent on mineralogical information, but have not included correlation with geological context, despite a strong relationship between geology, mineralogy and metallurgical response. Consideration of all these factors can allow a more in-depth understanding of the ore characteristics, their drivers and potential solutions to processing challenges. The whole ore characterisation process can be enhanced by the use of the automated mineralogical identication systems such as QEMSCAN, which gives fast and accurate mineralogical and textural information about the sample. Using QEMSCAN, it is possible to invoke a paradigm shift in the approach to ore characterisation problems, away from targeting specic problems and disciplines to drawing on a large data set of multidisciplinary knowledge and then develop a holistic view of every aspect affecting gold deportment and process routes.

Ore characterisation and gold deportment techniques

Many procedures for characterisation of gold bearing material have been proposed over the last 30 years. These procedures have been widely applied as a support to metallurgical programmes and are an integral part of process design for gold processing operations. The most signicant of these methodologies have been demonstrated

MinAssist Pty Ltd, Moonee Ponds, Vic., Australia Intellection Pty Ltd, Milton, Qld, Australia

*Corresponding author, email willgoodall@minassist.com.au

2012 AusIMM Published by Maney on behalf of the Institute and The AusIMM Received 22 August 2012; accepted 22 August 2012 DOI 10.1179/1743285512Y.0000000021

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by Chryssoulis and Cabri (1990), Henley (1992), Venter et al. (2004), Zhou and Cabri (2004) and Lastra et al. (2005). In all of these techniques, a focus is placed on obtaining a representative overview of the gold deportment and identifying key gold associations. A recent overview by Goodall and Scales (2007) examined the application of automated mineralogical techniques, including the QEMSCAN system, in gold deportment studies. This overview identied the potential for application of these tools in gold deportment and ore characterisation analysis through the generation of more targeted mineralogical and liberation data. A hallmark of current methodologies is that they rely on the involvement of expert metallurgists to guide the process and adjust the procedure based upon reaction to results. With the general greying population of metallurgists and skills shortage, it is becoming desirable to examine possibilities for simplifying the ore characterisation process. An experienced metallurgist will make a series of decisions throughout the ore characterisation process to guide the analysis and ensure that important points are not overlooked. As less experienced metallurgists take on the responsibilities for ore characterisation, there is increasing potential for key indicators to be missed. This can result in inadequate information being available at the process design stage and subsequent inefciency in recovery of gold. To simplify and streamline the ore characterisation and gold deportment analysis process, it has been proposed that a knowledge base could be utilised with associated decision tree analysis to guide the operator through the process. To achieve this goal, the senior author has developed the Quantied Knowledge Assessment (QKA) methodology. The objective behind the QKA methodology has been to provide a framework for developing smart ore characterisation procedures that incorporate key features, such as a holistic knowledge base and online error analysis for consistently accurate results.

Expert systems and knowledge bases in ore characterisation

The use of a knowledge base of metallurgical and geological information pertaining to gold mineralogy has been designed to increase the efciency and accuracy of ore characterisation processes. These systems are widely used in medicine, manufacturing and a range of other industries to capture the knowledge of experts and provide a suitable framework to make intelligent decisions based upon this knowledge. Meech (2006) provides an excellent review of the current uses of expert systems in the mining industry and how they have been used to signicantly enhance productivity in areas such as mill control and environmental monitoring. To implement these systems requires a paradigm shift towards automation, allowing greater accessibility to knowledge currently held by a nite number of experts in the eld. When combined with the advantages offered by QEMSCAN, a signicant step can be made towards simplifying and expanding the scope of general ore characterisation procedures. Torres et al. (1999) provided an example of how this can be achieved using the intelligold expert system for project evaluation. The concept presented here renes these ideas to provide the basis for a focused knowledge based expert system to be used in comprehensive ore evaluation.

Decision tree analysis in ore characterisation and gold deportment

To formalise ore characterisation and determination of gold deportment process, a decision tree structure was implemented (summarised in Table 1). This served to guide the operator through the process and ag potentially problematic elements based on the components of a supporting knowledge base of relevant information. The decision tree allowed optimisation of the use of QEMSCAN to augment the characterisation process and ensure that representative samples were presented to the system. The method has been divided into a series of evaluation stages where sufcient data are obtained to identify the most applicable route for the stages to follow. A summary of the stages involved is presented in Fig. 1. In each evaluation stage, ags are raised to identify the metallurgical affect of varying elemental and mineralogical composition, with these ags determining the most appropriate course of action. These stages comprise of a series of analytical owsheets. The general evaluation stages employed include: (i) geological and mining method evaluation (ii) sample selection and preparation (iii) basic mineralogical and elemental characterisation (iv) detailed mineralogical and gold deportment evaluation (v) reporting and basic interpretation of data. In stage 1, the inclusion of a formal geological examination stage allows correlations to be drawn between the geological setting of the deposit and the metallurgical response of the ore in processing. Through evaluation of the structural geology and interpretations of mineralisation, a number of preliminary conclusions about the key metallurgical characteristics of the materials can be drawn. For example, alluvial or elluvial placer deposits could be expected to contain coarse

QEMSCAN and gold deportment

The use of automated mineralogical systems, such as QEMSCAN, can provide signicant scope for scalability in gold grain identication. The QEMSCAN system is an automated e-beam mineralogical analysis tool that enhances the efciency and scalability of ore characterisation studies. The system is based upon advanced electron beam technology; combining high resolution backscattered electron (BSE) and secondary electron imaging with up to four liquid nitrogen free energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers. This is integrated using QEM*SEM electronic control systems and the proprietary iDiscover software package providing a solution with the capability to identify most minerals on a microscale in milliseconds. A review of the applications of QEMSCAN in process mineralogy is provided by Gottlieb et al. (2000) Identication of gold and other minerals with a bright BSE signature is performed by a preliminary BSE scan to reject elds with no phases over a threshold BSE level. Fields containing bright phases are then rescanned to map the association of those phases. This method provides a fast and accurate means of identifying all gold particles presented.

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1 Flowsheet of key evaluation stages in smart development of ore characterisation procedures for gold bearing material

grained gold, while shear hosted deposits, such as the Yilgarn region of Australia, could be expected to contain signicant gold telluride mineralisation. In stage 2, sample selection and preparation entails collection and preparation of an appropriate sample that is representative of the material under investigation. The ow on effects of sample selection and preparation on all subsequent stages makes it the most critical of all and requires special attention from both the operator and metallurgist. In stage 3, a basic analysis evaluation provides an overview of the general sample mineralogy, major, minor and trace elemental assemblage and basic gold deportment by broad mineral groups. These data are compared to a database of known metallurgical problems seen in gold bearing deposits and from this analysis, the most appropriate owsheet is presented to the operator. Through this model, the metallurgist can be condent that all potential metallurgical problems caused by sample mineralogy and composition are considered independently of the operators experience in gold metallurgical processes. A selection of owsheet options are available to the operator for the fourth evaluation stage based on the outcome of stage 3. These options cover the areas shown below and provide the operator with a recommended analysis route for samples of a certain composition (as determined in stage 3): (i) free milling ores (ii) simple refractory sulphide ores (iii) complex refractory sulphide ores (iv) silicate bound gold (v) preg robbing ores (vi) low grade tailings material (vii) gold telluride ore

(viii) antimony and bismuth bearing ore. By following the recommended analysis path, the operator can ensure that all assay considerations are taken into account, and that the most efcient use of assays and QEMSCAN system time is employed. This has the combined benet of reducing the overall cost for less complex materials and ensuring that the most accurate total gold and mineralogical balance is achieved. The available options are a uid representation of documented problems experienced in gold extraction. As additional general issues are identied, they can be added with analysis owsheets suitable for their accurate characterisation. The total methodology gives geologists, metallurgists and mineralogists a tool by which to condently characterise the important mineralogical and metallurgical characteristics of any gold bearing material. This allows a cost effective procedure for ore and tailings evaluation, or process optimisation. It also allows a naturally effective precursor for metallurgical test work programs, where a comprehensive understanding of the gold deportment and sample mineralogy can be used to focus the program on the most relevant aspects.

Case study: simple refractory sulphide ore

The following case study demonstrates the application of the proposed decision tree based methodology to an exploration sample collected from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The case study is presented as a summarised overview of the decision process with relevant results included at the stage of collection. This approach has been used to demonstrate the effect of results on the process as it occurs rather than focus on the nal form of results presentation. In the interest of brevity, only a summary of results has been provided at each stage to highlight the methodology utilised.

Stage 1: geology and historical data

The rst stage of analysis should always be to collect as much relevant general and historical information regarding the sample as possible (examples provided in Table 1). Analysis of the available information regarding the geological setting, in comparison to the associated knowledge base, immediately identied the possible association of gold with iron sulphide minerals and the corresponding potential for refractory behaviour.

Stage 2: sample selection and preparation

The next stage was to determine the appropriate sample size to maintain representative results through the characterisation process. The sampling theory module of the QKA methodology is currently still under development, but in this case, the optimum sample size

Table 1 Background information regarding sample for characterisation Source of material Mining method employed Geological setting Processing history Exploration: bulk sample from stockpile Test pit Massive to weakly foliated tonalitegranodiorite(monzonite). Gold hosted in quartzsulphide lodes with shear and fault zones (Sherrenberg et al., 2004) Total historic gold production of 199 kg Au between 1897 and 1989 (Sherrenberg et al., 2004)

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was determined by error minimisation through extrapolation of assay results (Goodall, 2005). The optimum sample size was calculated to be 432 g to achieve an acceptable standard deviation of 5%. By stepping back and examining the fundamentals of the sample, it was possible to ensure that proper sampling practice and sample sizes were utilised for the remainder of the analysis. Based on the information gathered, the following analysis regime was identied to build a broad picture of the elemental and mineralogical composition of the material.

Stage 3: basic elemental and mineral composition

As the picture was built up through stages 1, 2 and 3, it became apparent that the material was a relatively simple refractory ore that contained signicant gold associated with sulphide minerals. From these outcomes, the decision tree approach showed that a detailed mineralogical investigation, using QEMSCAN, of the sulphide mineral distribution would be most benecial in determination of overall potential processing behaviour. Traditionally, characterisation studies would not delve deeper into the mineralogy after this stage. It is however from this point that automated mineralogical techniques, such as QEMSCAN, begin to add signicant value to the results obtained.

Stage 4: mineralogical investigation by QEMSCAN

The nal stage of material characterisation analysis involved adding a deeper layer of understanding to the results for stages 1, 2 and 3. Based upon the broad elemental composition and gold deportment, key areas were identied for further investigation (see Figs 26).

Stage 5: basic interpretation

The results achieved in characterisation of this material highlighted a number of key processing parameters that would have a signicant impact on the processing route required. It was identied at an early stage that the material was refractory to cyanidation and that the major reason for this was an association of gold with pyrite and haematite. These initial results were quantied by QEMSCAN analysis to show that the major associations of gold were with both pyrite and haematite, but that it was very poorly liberated. The key outcomes of analysis were: (i) gold was refractory to direct cyanidation (ii) gold occurred predominantly as native gold
Table 2 Sample mass required to achieve acceptable standard deviations on chemical assays (sample ground to P80 of 75 mm) SD*/% 1.0 5.0 5.7 7.0 9.4 12.7 17.2 Calc. SD 0.05 0.26 0.29 0.36 0.49 0.66 0.89 Mass required/g 18 000 432 325 200 100 50 25

*SD: standard deviation.

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(iii) gold was poorly liberated and predominantly associated with pyrite and haematite (iv) the final definition of this material was as a simple refractory ore. Interpretation of these results indicated that recovery of pyrite through otation would be required, to be followed by a stage of ultrane grinding or sulphide oxidation. This would allow recovery of the refractory component of gold. Gold associated with haematite should report to the otation tail and could be scavenged by direct cyanidation. In the interest of space, only rudimentary interpretation was performed for the purpose of this case study; however, it should be clear that sufcient data are available through application of the methodology to guide more intense metallurgical testwork design.

multidimensional evaluation of the material can be developed and as the knowledge base expands, it is expected that greater correlations between geology and metallurgical response will develop.

References
Chryssoulis, S. L. and Cabri, L. J. 1990. Significance of gold mineralogical balances in mineral processing, Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. C, 99, C1C10. Goodall, W. R. 2005. New techniques in the characterisation of complex gold ores, PhD thesis, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia, 470. Goodall, W. R. and Scales, P. J. 2007. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the determination of gold mineralogy by automated mineralogy, Miner. Eng., 20, (5), 506517. Gottlieb, P., Wilkie, G., Sutherland, D., Ho Tun, E., Suthers, S., Perara, K., Jenkins, B., Spencer, S., Butcher, A. and Rayner, J. 2000. Using quantitative electron microscopy for process mineralogy applications, J. Miner. Mater. Charact. Eng., 52, (4), 2425. Henley, K. J. 1992. A review of recent developments in the process mineralogy of gold, in Extractive metallurgy of gold and base metals, (ed. V. Misra et al.); Kalgoorlie, AusIMM, 4952. Lastra, R., Price, J., Cabri, L. J., Rudashevsky, N. S., Rudashevsky, V. N. and McMahon, G. 2005. Gold characterisation of a sample from Malartic East (Quebec) using concentration by hydroseparator, in Treatment of gold ores 5th International Symposium, 44th Annual Conference of Metallurgists of CIM, (ed. G. Desche nes et al.); Calgary, Alta, MetSoc, 711715. Lorenzen, L. 1995. Some guidelines to the design of a diagnostic leaching experiment Miner. Eng., 8, (3), 247256. Meech, J. A. 2006. The evolution of intelligent systems in the mining industry, Proc. Int. Conf. on Mineral process modelling, simulation and control conference, Sudbury, Ont., Canada, June, Laurentian University, 130. Sherrenberg, A. F., Hein, K. A. A. and White, S. 2004. Middle Archaean gold deposits in the North ShawCoongan Greenstone Belt, Australia: the relative timing of events responsible for gold mineralisation, Ore Geol. Rev., 25, 175197. Torres, V. M., Chaves, A. P. and Meech, J. A. 1999. Process design for gold ores: a diagnostic approach, Miner. Eng., 12, (3), 245254. Venter, D., Chryssoulis, S. L. and Mulpeter, T. 2004. Using mineralogy to optimise gold recovery by direct cyanidation, JOM, 56, (8), 53 56. Zhou, J. Y. and Cabri, L. J. 2004. Gold process mineralogy: objectives, techniques and applications, JOM, 56, (7), 4952.

Conclusion
The use of scalable techniques in development of ore characterisation procedures for gold bearing ores can make the application of QEMSCAN more practical and greatly increase the scalability of studies. The application of decision tree analysis and supporting expert systems based on a knowledge base can also be used to great effect in scalability and maintenance of acceptable accuracy. The use of the knowledge base with decision trees allows a paradigm shift in the approach to ore characterisation studies. For routine analysis, this approach allows junior metallurgists or even laboratory technicians to condently undertake a full ore characterisation programme without the risk of missing key problems that may arise. This allows experienced metallurgists, who are becoming increasing valuable, to apply their knowledge in solving the problems identied, greatly increasing their efciency. Finally, applying an integrated approach of traditional chemical assay techniques with geological interpretation and mineralogy by QEMSCAN, allows a well rounded approach to be applied. Consequently, a

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