Department of Analytics
Mineral resources and reusable materials
Whether and how metals can be recovered in the most energy-efficient and economical way can be assessed by modern analytical methods. For that reason the Department of Analytics develops and utilizes methods which are able to determine the composition and microstructure of metalliferous raw materials quantitatively accurate.
The Analytics Department not only helps to explore new ore deposits or anthropogenic sources such as mine tailings or e-waste, it also examines all products along the value chain of metal production. The data are then provided for mathematical modeling and evaluation to further optimize the metal recovery – an approach that we call geometallurgy.
The greatest methodological challenge in the upcoming years will be to expand the currently almost exclusively produced 2D data to 3D data, without impairing its usability. This development will enable the reliable prediction of mineral recovery.
Wide range of methods
The Department of Analytics has a wide range of analytical methods at its disposal. In the laboratories, both bulk (XRF, XRD) and micro-analytical (MLA, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS) analyses of many different inorganic matrices, especially rock samples, can be performed. Some of the laboratories are under construction.
Please, follow the link for an overview of all available methods.
Ion Beam Analysis Group
From 1st January 2019 on, the Ion Beam Analysis Group is integrated into the newly founded Department of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and Isotope Research at the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research.