​​Overview

Mining is one of the oldest and most important industries on earth.  From the steel in a modern automobile to the rare materials in the latest mobile phone, mining provides the raw materials, metals and minerals needed by modern society.

Mining activities include:

  • Hard rock mining for metals like gold, zinc and nickel
  • Soft rock mining for materials such as potash, salt, oil shale and coal  

The materials produced can be of very high value, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium or low value, high tonnage materials such as bauxite, gypsum and iron ore that are used to satisfy the needs of the world's economy.

Labs offering analytical support to this industry face some of the most challenging samples that are analyzed by ICP-OES/DC ARC and Mercury Analyzers. Since these systems can handle high levels of dissolved solids, elements present from percent of ppb levels.

Wear metals analysis, using Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometers (ICP-OES), has been an important component of predictive maintenance programs for many years for analysis in used oil-based materials such as: 

  • Engine oils
  • Transmission oils
  • Engine coolants

These used oil-based materials are regularly monitored for the presence of particles deposited from the components that they are designed to protect.  The particles gradually build up in the oil due to normal wear of the component. For this reason, the analysis of used oils and coolants is often referred to as wear metals analysis or fluids analysis. This technique can be used to accurately identify and predict component failure, based on the composition of the metals and the speed at which they accumulate overtime. By analyzing the various metals in the fluids and applying trend analysis, expensive breakdowns can be prevented and service life increased.  Fluid analysis can also be used to maximize the usable life of fluids by monitoring the health of any additive packages.

Teledyne Leeman Labs manufactures Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometers (ICP-OES) that help wear metal labs meet the accuracy and fast turnaround times demanded by their customers. With highly reliable instruments and the industry's most responsive and experienced support teams; Teledyne Leeman ICP-OES systems make analyzing wear metals in oils sample fast, simple and accurate.​

Solutions for Mining, Ore Production, Metals and Geological Applications:​

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES)MercuryDC Arc

For low to trace level determination of metals, Teledyne Leeman Labs ICP systems offer state of the art performance, a ro​bust design to ensure that operation is simple and maintenance a snap and offers the needed automation level required to succeed in today’s do more society.

We offer a comprehensive range of turnkey systems for the determination of low to ultra-trace levels of mercury in both a liquid (ie: naphtha, crude and other light distillates) and solid/semi-solid matrices commonly encountered in petrochemical operations. Our systems employ the technique of sample digestion followed by cold vapor atomic absorption (CVAA) or direct sample combustion followed by Hg mass determination by atomic absorption (CAA).Fast, quantitative, elemental analyses of difficult samples are the hallmarks of the DC Arc spectrometer.

Applications

  • ASTM D5185
  • ASTM D6130
  • ASTM 6722

​Recommended Products​

  • Hydra IIC
  • Prodigy7
  • ProdigyPlus
  • Prodigy DC Arc
References

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