Investigating the Influence of Ore Mineralogical Composition on Ultrasonic Attenuation and Speed Measurement Techniques

Abstract

This study examines the effects of the mineralogical nature of three different natural ore types on ultrasonic speed and attenuation measurements. Ultrasonic measurements were performed on slurry ore samples each prepared to achieve a uniform particle size distribution of 80% passing 53 micrometers, at a specific particle loading with constant agitation. The mineralogy of the ores in question was determined by the use of powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and also examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to obtain high-magnification images of the morphology of minerals of interest in these ores. An ultrasonic acoustic tone burst with a constant center frequency was transmitted through each slurry sample, with measurements conducted at varying solid loadings. The mineralogical nature measurements of each sample at a specific particle loading are correlated with acoustic measurements. The resulting measurements of acoustic velocity and attenuation provide valuable insights into how variations in ore mineralogy and slurry composition alone affect the propagation of acoustic waves.