Ore Sorting · 2023
Two Sensors for Bulk Sorting of Copper Porphyries
Magnetic resonance and PGNAA sensor responses combined for bulk sorting, compared with using either sensor alone.
- Project
- Cadia East
- Location
- New South Wales, Australia
- Application
- Bulk ore sorting
- Samples
- 2 m drill core grades
- Compared against
- Single-sensor sorting
PaperA Conceptual Strategy for Effective Bulk Ore Sorting of Copper Porphyries: Exploiting the Synergy between Two Sensor Technologies · Minerals Engineering
Read the paperContext
Bulk sorting needs grade heterogeneity in the ore and sensors that measure grade accurately. Magnetic resonance measures quickly but senses only some copper minerals, while PGNAA measures more completely over longer intervals.
The Work
Bulk sorting on a production conveyor was simulated with drill core grades from a copper porphyry deposit, using the magnetic resonance sensor alone, the PGNAA sensor alone, and the two combined with machine learning models.
Results
Using the magnetic resonance sensor alone lowered ore value, and PGNAA alone gave a small improvement. Combining the two sensors gave the largest improvement in net smelter return, a concept worth proving in on-site trials.
