Combined XRF, XRD, SEM-EDS, and Raman Analyses on Serpentinized Harzburgite (Nickel Laterite Mine, New Caledonia): Implications for Exploration and Geometallurgy

International audienceDifferent techniques have been combined to determine the crystallography and the chemical composition of serpentinized harzburgite sampled in a drill core coming from the lower part of the New Caledonia ophiolite. Specifically, this serpentinized harzburgite is the common bedrock of most of the nickel laterite mines in New Caledonia. Most of the minerals present in serpentinized harzburgite were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and XRD. In this study, Raman spectroscopy has been applied for the first time to estimate the nickel content in lizardite, forsterite, talc, and goethite. The analyses confirm that the major serpentine minerals show two varieties: (1) Ni-bearing lizardite and (2) Ni-free lizardite. Furthermore, Ni-rich forsterite, enstatite, Ni-rich talc, sepiolite, periclase (MgO), and quartz were detected. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy evidence minor phases not detected by XRD: anatase, rutile, pyrite, hematite, chromite, magnesiochromite, and Ni-rich goethite. Our results show that the Ni substitution is only present in lizardite exhibiting turbostratic-stacking disorder. This finding has potential for being used as an exploration tool using short-wave-infrared spectroscopy online or as a portable instrument, and for defining geometallurgical parameters for processing these complex ores

Challenges in coupled on-line-on-mine-real time mineralogical and chemical analyses on drill cores

The SOLSA project aims to develop an innovative on-line-on-mine-real-time expert system, combining sonic drilling, mineralogical and chemical characterization and data treatment. Ideally, this combination, highly demanded by mining and metallurgical companies, will speed up exploration, mining and processing. In order to evaluate the instrumental parameters for the SOLSA expert system, portable and laboratory analyses have been performed on four samples with contrasting lithologies: siliceous breccia, serpentinized harzburgite, sandstone and granite. More precisely, we evaluated the influence of the surface state of the sample on the signals obtained by portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) for chemistry and portable Infra-Red spectroscopy (pIR) for mineralogy. In addition, laboratory Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), XRF and ICP-OES laboratory analyses were performed to compare surface bulk mineralogical and chemical analyses. This presentation highlights (1) the importance of coupling chemical and mineralogical analytical technologies to obtain most complete information on samples, (2) the effect of the sample surface state on the XRF and IR signals from portable instruments. The last point is crucial for combined instrumental on-line sensor design and the calibration of the different instruments, especially in the case of pXRF

3D Imaging on heterogeneous surfaces on laterite drill core materials

The SOLSA project aims to construct an analytical expert system for on-line-on-mine-real-time mineralogical and geochemical analyses on sonic drilled cores. A profilometer is indispensable to obtain reliable and quantitative data from RGB and hyperspectral cameras, and to get 3D definition of close-to-surface objects such as rheology (grain shape, grain size, fractures and vein systems), material hardness and porosities. Optical properties of minerals can be analyzed by focusing on the reflectance. Preliminary analyses were performed with the commercial scan control profilometer MI-CRO-EPSILON equipped with a blue 405 nm laser on a conveyor belt (depth resolution: 10 μm; surface resolution: 30x30 μm2 (maximum resolution; 1m drill core/4 min). Drill core parts and rocks with 4 different surface roughness states: (1) sonic drilled, (2) diamond saw-cut, polished at (3) 6 mm and (4) 0.25 μm were measured (see also abstract Duée et al. this volume). The ΜICRO- EPSILON scanning does not detect such small differences of surface roughness states. Profilometer data can also be used to access rough mineralogical identification of some mineral groups like Fe-Mg silicates, quartz and feldspars). Drill core parts from a siliceous mineralized breccia and laterite with high and deep porosity and fractures were analyzed. The determination of holes’ convexity and fractures) is limited by the surface/depth ratio. Depending on end-user’s needs, parameters such as fracture densities and mineral content should be combined, and depth and surface resolutions should be optimized, to speed up “on-line-on-mine-real- time” mineral and chemical analyses in order to reach the target of about 80 m/day of drilled core

Efficient long-term open-access data archiving in mining industries

Efficient data collection, analysis and preservation are needed to accomplish adequate business decision making. Long-lasting and sustainable business operations, such as mining, add extra requirements to this process: data must be reliably preserved over periods that are longer than that of a typical software life-cycle. These concerns are of special importance for the combined on-line-on-mine-real-time expert system SOLSA (http://www.solsa-mining.eu/) that will produce data not only for immediate industrial utilization, but also for the possible scientific reuse. We thus applied the experience of scientific data publishing to provide efficient, reliable, long term archival data storage. Crystallography, a field covering one of the methods used in the SOLSA expert system, has long traditions of archiving and disseminating crystallographic data. To that end, the Crystallographic Interchange Framework (CIF, [1]) was developed and is maintained by the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr). This framework provides rich means for describing crystal structures and crystallographic experiments in an unambiguous, human- and machine- readable way, in a standard that is independent of the underlying data storage technology. The Crystallography Open Database (COD, [2]) has been successfully using the CIF framework to maintain its open-access crystallographic data collection for over a decade [3,4]. Since the CIF framework is extensible it is possible to use it for other branches of knowledge. The SOLSA system will generate data using different methods of material identification: XRF, XRD, Raman, IR and DRIFT spectroscopy. For XRD, the CIF is usable out-of-the-box, since we can rely on extensive data definition dictionaries (ontologies) developed by the IUCr and the crystallographic community. For spectroscopic techniques such dictionaries, to our best knowledge, do not exist; thus, the SOLSA team is developing CIF dictionaries for spectroscopic techniques to be used in the SOLSA expert system. All dictionaries will be published under liberal license and communities are encourage to join the development, reuse and extend the dictionaries where necessary. These dictionaries will enable access to open data generated by SOLSA by all interested parties. The use of the common CIF framework will ensure smooth data exchange among SOLSA partners and seamless data publication from the SOLSA project

Mud-Based Construction Material: Promising Properties of French Gravel Wash Mud Mixed with Byproducts, Seashells and Fly Ash as a Binder

The French gravel industry produces approximatively 6.5 million tons of gravel wash mud each year. This material offers very promising properties which require an in-depth characterization study before its use as a construction material, otherwise it is removed from value cycles by disposal in landfills. We examined the suitability of gravel wash mud and seashells, with fly ash as a binder, as an unfired earth construction material. Thermal and mechanical characterizations of the smart mixture composed of gravel wash mud, Crepidula fornicata shells and fly ash are performed. The new specimens exhibit high compressive strengths compared to usual earth construction materials, which appears as a good opportunity for a reduction in the thickness of walls. The use of fly ash and Crepidula shells in addition to gravel wash mud provides high silica and calcium contents, which both react with clay, leading to the formation of tobermorite and Al-tobermorite as a result of a pozzolanic reaction. Considering the reduction in porosity and improvements in strength, these new materials are good candidates to contribute significantly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reduce carbon emissions

Study of structural and magnetic properties of nanoparticles of maghemite dispersed in a silica matrix

Les objectifs de ce travail de thèse concernent l'étude du comportement structurale et magnétique de poudres constituées de nanoparticules de maghémite (γ-Fe2O3) de taille et de morphologie contrôlées (4 ± 1 nm), obtenues par coprécipitation de sels métalliques puis dispersées avec différentes concentrations dans une matrice de silice par voie sol-gel. La première partie de nos travaux a consisté à étudier la stabilité structurale des nanoparticules par irradiation laser puis en fonction de la température de traitement afin de contrôler les transitions de phase maghémite γ-Fe2O3 vers l’hématite α-Fe2O3 et/ou vers la phase Epsilon. La deuxième partie du travail a concerné l'étude des propriétés magnétiques des nanocomposites en fonction de la concentration massique en nanoparticules. L'objectif a été de caractériser la nature des interactions magnétiques entre les nanoparticules.The objectives of this thesis concern the study of structural and magnetic behavior of powders consisting of nanoparticles of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) of controlled size and morphology (4 ± 1 nm) obtained by coprecipitation of metal salts and then dispersed with different concentrations in a silica matrix by sol-gel process. The first part of our work was to study the structural stability of the nanoparticles by laser irradiation and depending on the temperature of treatment to control the phase transition to maghemite γ-Fe2O3 into hematite α-Fe2O3 and Epsilon. The second part of the work concerned the study of magnetic properties of nanocomposites based on the mass concentration of nanoparticles. The objective was to characterize the nature of interactions between magnetic nanoparticles

Etude des propriétés structurales et magnétiques de nanoparticules de maghémite dispersées dans une matrice de silice

The objectives of this thesis concern the study of structural and magnetic behavior of powders consisting of nanoparticles of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) of controlled size and morphology (4 ± 1 nm) obtained by coprecipitation of metal salts and then dispersed with different concentrations in a silica matrix by sol-gel process. The first part of our work was to study the structural stability of the nanoparticles by laser irradiation and depending on the temperature of treatment to control the phase transition to maghemite γ-Fe2O3 into hematite α-Fe2O3 and Epsilon. The second part of the work concerned the study of magnetic properties of nanocomposites based on the mass concentration of nanoparticles. The objective was to characterize the nature of interactions between magnetic nanoparticles.Les objectifs de ce travail de thèse concernent l'étude du comportement structurale et magnétique de poudres constituées de nanoparticules de maghémite (γ-Fe2O3) de taille et de morphologie contrôlées (4 ± 1 nm), obtenues par coprécipitation de sels métalliques puis dispersées avec différentes concentrations dans une matrice de silice par voie sol-gel. La première partie de nos travaux a consisté à étudier la stabilité structurale des nanoparticules par irradiation laser puis en fonction de la température de traitement afin de contrôler les transitions de phase maghémite γ-Fe2O3 vers l’hématite α-Fe2O3 et/ou vers la phase Epsilon. La deuxième partie du travail a concerné l'étude des propriétés magnétiques des nanocomposites en fonction de la concentration massique en nanoparticules. L'objectif a été de caractériser la nature des interactions magnétiques entre les nanoparticules

Investigation of Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Concrete with <i>Scallop</i> Shells as Partial Cement Replacement: Alternative Binder and Life Cycle Assessment

The adverse environmental impacts of building materials can be achieved by reducing the amount of cement in cementitious composites, specifically when incorporating wastes as partial replacement for Portland cement. In this work, we substitute cement with shell by-products while keeping useful specific properties. Scallop shells are good candidates to replace part of the Portland cement as they contain calcium and are available in abundance. We present an experimental and numerical study on the mechanics, hygrothermal behavior, and life cycle analysis of scallop shell concrete. In the fresh state, the replacement of cement by up to 10 wt.% of scallop shells does not significantly affect mortar properties. The results indicate that including 10% shells represents a decrease of up to 40% in the environmental impact, depending on the category of impact considered. Furthermore, the addition of Scallop shells makes the material more porous, leading to the facilitation of moisture transfer

Effect of the sample form on the corrosion behavior of steels for concrete in 3% NaCl medium

Corrosion of steel constitutes a major preoccupation in the field of civil engineering and the building sector. In this paper, we investigated the electrochemical behavior of two steel specimens with different forms (latched steel and smooth steel) in a 3 wt.% NaCl solution. For this purpose, we studied the steel samples by linear polarization, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The surface morphologies of the substrates were examined by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy diffraction spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Results of linear polarization, Tafel polarization curves and EIS show that latched steel (LS) is more susceptible to corrosion than smooth steel (SS) in saline solution. Gravimetric and SEM/EDS analysis after 10 days of immersion confirmed the results obtained by electrochemical methods. All of our results are in agreement and demonstrate that the sample form plays a key role in corrosion resistance

Etude des propriétés structurales et magnétiques de nanoparticules de maghémite dispersées dans une matrice de silice

Les objectifs de ce travail de thèse concernent l'étude du comportement structurale et magnétique de poudres constituées de nanoparticules de maghémite (g-Fe2O3) de taille et de morphologie contrôlées (4 +- 1 nm), obtenues par coprécipitation de sels métalliques puis dispersées avec différentes concentrations dans une matrice de silice par voie sol-gel. La première partie de nos travaux a consisté à étudier la stabilité structurale des nanoparticules par irradiation laser puis en fonction de la température de traitement afin de contrôler les transitions de phase maghémite g-Fe2O3 vers l hématite a-Fe2O3 et/ou vers la phase Epsilon. La deuxième partie du travail a concerné l'étude des propriétés magnétiques des nanocomposites en fonction de la concentration massique en nanoparticules. L'objectif a été de caractériser la nature des interactions magnétiques entre les nanoparticules.The objectives of this thesis concern the study of structural and magnetic behavior of powders consisting of nanoparticles of maghemite (g-Fe2O3) of controlled size and morphology (4 +- 1 nm) obtained by coprecipitation of metal salts and then dispersed with different concentrations in a silica matrix by sol-gel process. The first part of our work was to study the structural stability of the nanoparticles by laser irradiation and depending on the temperature of treatment to control the phase transition to maghemite g-Fe2O3 into hematite a-Fe2O3 and Epsilon. The second part of the work concerned the study of magnetic properties of nanocomposites based on the mass concentration of nanoparticles. The objective was to characterize the nature of interactions between magnetic nanoparticles.LE MANS-BU Sciences (721812109) / SudocSudocFranceF