Rapid Lithium Mineralogy Analyzer

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Lithium (Li), a metal, is used for Li ion batteries, accounting for about 35% of global production. It is**accelerating as a commodity of great interest because of the rapid growth and acceptance of electric vehicles. Li**will be a critical metal for Canada's economy. New Li mineral processing methods which enhance the yield and**speed, reduce the use of chemicals and increase energy efficiency ('greening') will all greatly benefit Canada's**mining sector. Current processing methods are complex and challenging. There is a need for rapid feedback**process mineralogy tools in order to enhance Li recovery methods. The extraction and processing of mining**ores is, at its heart, a microscopy problem. This is because the excavated material must be broken down to**micron size grains in order to expose it to the chemical processing which releases the product. The goal of this**project is to develop a proof-of-concept Li imaging instrument that leads to a prototype rugged, portable**Lithium Mineralogy Analyzer. Such a tool does not currently exist. Currently, mineral processors have special**analytical techniques which can provide important details but are slow, expensive, typically restricted to**imaging surfaces and require extensive sample preparation (such as cutting and polishing) before analysis. This**means that 'real time' feedback is impossible. Our brand new approach is based on an advanced laser**microscopy technique we developed originally for Biophotonics: Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS)**Microscopy. We recently demonstrated the world's first application of SRS to Geology, a new field we call**Geophotonics. This microscopy technique is very rapid (real time), is mineral-specific, requires no sample**preparation and gives full 3D information. We anticipate that our new mineral imaging approach will become a**disruptive technology in the field of process mineralogy. The new type of information that this method will**provide to mining and mineral processing engineers will improve sustainable mining operations, increase**extraction efficiency and reduce environmental impacts in Canada's mining sector.