AZtecMineral

AZtecMineral automatically analyses grains over a large area of the sample, typically several square centimetres.

Because of the resolution achieved, information on individual grains is available from the same acquisition.

• Samples can be either grain mounts, polished specimens or thin sections
• Particles, and the grains within them, are detected using the atomic number contrast derived from a backscattered electron image
• A combination of X-ray data and morphological data from the BSE image is used to identify the minerals
• Both morphological and phase information from each grain is stored in a database from which it can be retrieved and re analysed in greater detail at any time
• Stores all map, pole figure, measurement, subset and material settings within each dataset
• Phase identification is performed by real-time full quantitative analysis during the acquisition (including AZtec’s Tru-Q processing). This delivers the accuracy needed to distinguish chemically similar phases
• The relationship between the individual grains and the parent particles is maintained for further post-processing.
• The post-processing module provides direct and convenient access to the data via a graphical user interface
• Information is provided for individual grains as well as statistical information over the whole sample: mineral abundance, mineral associations, liberation, grain size distributions, common perimeter associations and particle associations as well as cumulative liberation yield graphs (depending on sample type).
• Mineral grains can be classified against a database containing in excess of 5,000 reference minerals. An automated approach identifies groups of grains with similar compositions for comparison against the database.