Developing Applications of Mineral-Specific X-ray Diffraction

Graeme Hansford博士发明了一种新的x射线衍射（XRD）技术，可以增强混合物中特定矿物的衍射信号。这项技术有多种潜在的商业应用，主要是在冶金和采矿方面。它可以使用相对低成本的x射线技术作为手持或便携式设备或在生产线配置中实现。该技术适用于用户对一种关键矿物或相（如重要杂质）感兴趣的应用。该方法可用于确定该相的存在或不存在，并用于定量。在这个阶段的主要目标应用是量化钢生产中的残余奥氏体。钢的热处理主要是为了产生马氏体，这是一种含碳过饱和的铁相。马氏体在钢的应用中通常具有理想的性能，例如它具有很高的抗拉强度。任何不转化为马氏体的奥氏体（因此“保留”）可能对预期的应用有好处，但更常见的是，它可能是有害的。因此，测量残余奥氏体的量对于钢的制造过程和质量控制至关重要。XRD方法是残留奥氏体定量的标准方法，但目前的仪器成本超过10万英镑，要么需要破坏性地制备样品，要么有一个笨重的测量头，必须小心地相对于分析区域定位。相比之下，基于相位特定XRD技术的仪器可以具有类似于手持式x射线荧光仪器的瞄准和拍摄格式，并且可能花费约3万英镑。这种新技术有可能颠覆现有的残留奥氏体测量市场。另一个应用实例是铁矿石中石英的检测和定量。石英通常作为杂质存在于铁矿石中，并决定了最佳的加工方法，因为它是一种坚硬的矿物。对矿石中石英含量的快速而准确的估计将使矿山和矿物加工厂能够快速做出决策，通过简化操作节省成本，避免代价高昂和浪费的错误。矿物特异性XRD技术提供了一种紧凑且低成本的测量方法。

Dr Graeme Hansford has invented a novel X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique which enables the enhancement of the diffraction signal from a specific mineral within a mixture. This technique has multiple potential commercial applications, primarily in metallurgy and mining. It can be implemented using relatively low-cost X-ray technology as a handheld or portable device or in a production line configuration. The technique is suited to applications in which the user is interested in one key mineral or phase, such as an important impurity. The method can be used to determine the presence or absence of this phase, and for quantification.The primary targeted application at this stage is the quantification of retained austenite in steel production. The heat treatment of steels is mainly aimed at producing martensite which is an iron phase supersaturated with carbon. Martensite has generally desirable properties for steel applications, for example it is has a high tensile strength. Any austenite which does not convert to martensite (hence 'retained') may have benefits to the intended application or, more commonly, it may be deleterious. Measurement of the amount of retained austenite is therefore crucial for process and quality control purposes in the manufacture of steel. XRD methods are standard for retained austenite quantification, but current instruments cost in excess of £100k and either require destructive preparation of the sample or have a cumbersome measurement head which must be carefully positioned relative to the analysis area. In contrast, an instrument based on the phase-specific XRD technique can have a point-and-shoot format similar to handheld X-ray fluorescence instruments and is likely to cost ~£30k. This novel technique has the potential to disrupt the existing market in retained austenite measurement.Another application example is the detection and quantification of quartz in iron ores. Quartz is commonly present as an impurity in iron ores and determines the optimum processing method because it is a hard mineral. A quick and accurate estimate of the quartz content in ores would allow rapid decision making at mines and mineral processing plants, saving costs through streamlining of operations and avoiding costly and wasteful errors. The mineral-specific XRD technique offers a compact and low-cost method of making such measurements.