Secopta analytics

Inline elemental analysis of bulk minerals

At SOLIDS 2023, Secopta will be showing MineralLIBS, a new automatic system for inline material analysis and positive material identification (PMI). Designed for 24/7 use, the system continuously measures materials such as powders, fine and coarse-grained industrial minerals and ores as well as mixtures of materials for use in the fertilizer, cement or glass industries right on the conveyor belt. The system excels in terms of measuring precision, long-time stability and the high speed at which it can operate.

1 MineraLIBS consists of a measuring head arranged above the conveyor belt and a cabinet accommodating the laser and the electronic equipment
© Secopta analytics GmbH

1 MineraLIBS consists of a measuring head arranged above the conveyor belt and a cabinet accommodating the laser and the electronic equipment

LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) systems automatically analyze the elemental composition of material passing below the measuring unit on a conveyor belt in real time. For the measurement, a plasma is generated by a laser beam and analyzed in a dedicated spectrometer. This makes it possible to verify the elemental composition of a moving flow of material inline in a matter of seconds, so that the results are instantly available. The continuous measurement captures 100 % of the material with the system operating 24/7.

2 Inline measurement of powders with the Secopta MineralLIBS SP system
© Secopta analytics GmbH

2 Inline measurement of powders with the Secopta MineralLIBS SP system

Secopta has developed MineralLIBS for measuring tasks like incoming goods inspection, process control and positive material inspection (PMI). It can analyze coarse industrial minerals, such as silica, feldspar and limestone, as well as ores and coals in grain sizes from 100 mm down to 0 mm. The measuring system adjusts itself automatically to different grain sizes and varying charge heights of the material on the conveyor belt. For fine-grained material, including powders, Secopta offers the MineralLIBS SP model. Both systems are designed for reliable service even in highly challenging environments such as in building material and ore processing facilities.

In incoming goods inspection, continuous, real-time measurements can replace the practice of analyzing samples randomly taken every couple of hours. With the continuous measurement, it is now possible to immediately check whether the delivered or the to be processed material is suitable for the intended use. In process control, MineralLIBS ensures continuous chemical analysis of the material flow. This uninterrupted supply of analysis data helps to optimize process efficiency and save time, resources and energy. If threshold values are exceeded, the system immediately triggers an alarm.

With an automatic PMI (positive material identification), operators can be sure that their plants are always charged with the correct material in the correct quantities. The measured data are logged and archived for future retrieval and documentation.

Hall 5, stand M 01