ELEMENTAL TO MINERAL ASSAYS CONVERSIONS:
Reasonable estimates of the mineralogical composition of sulphide ores help better understand and possibly optimise the process.
Mineralogical assays usually take few days or weeks and cost more than chemical assays. Realistic assumptions can be made based on historical data and general knowledge about the ore (e.g., iron sulphides are mostly pyrite and partially pyrrhotite). Then, the mineralogical assays can be estimated from the available elemental assays.
To use:
✅Enter the sample names and assays.
✅Provide the estimated elemental distributions in percent.
Example:
- 95% of copper is present in chalcopyrite and the remaining 5% in chalcocite.
- Apart from the iron in chalcopyrite, bornite, sphalerite, wurtzite, pentlandite and violarite; 90% of the remaining iron in the ore is found in pyrite, 8 percent in pyrrhotite and 2 percent in magnetite.
✅Ensure the distribution for each element adds up to 100 percent.
✅Click on "Calculate mineral assays".
✅The non sulphide gangue (NSG) assays are calculated to make up the remaining mineral assays.
Negative calculated iron sulphide assays indicate there is insufficient sulphur to satisfy the elemental distribution assumptions.