lab assay Archives - International Mining

Intertek Group has officially opened its new Minerals Global Centre of Excellence, in Perth, Western Australia, bringing with it world-class technical expertise, automated technology, and pioneering innovation and services, Intertek CEO, André Lacroix, says.

The Centre of Excellence is the largest Intertek Minerals laboratory in the world and consolidates the group’s Minerals business into a 20,000 sq.m, multi-service, facility housing over 500 employees. It is powered by the latest pioneering technology to deliver a broad range of Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification (ATIC) services to the industry, according to Intertek.

The new centre was officially opened at an event attended by Hon Bill Johnston, Western Australia’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum.

Intertek said: “COVID-19 has intensified the world’s focus on innovative and sustainable mining practices as industries seek to Build Back Ever Better. From the steel required for the construction of wind turbines to the nickel fuelling the shift to electric vehicles, responsibly sourced commodities underpin a cleaner, more sustainable and technologically advanced future. In order to meet the needs of a growing global population while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a variety of energy sources and commodities will be needed to power the modern world.”

Intertek’s Minerals business has, for many years, driven innovation and sustainability throughout the resource supply chain, from exploration and resource development, through to production, shipping and commercial settlement, supported by a global network of experts and a customer-centric local delivery model, it said.

“As a purpose-led company, Intertek’s mission is to make the world a better, safer and more sustainable place and these values lie at the heart of the Minerals Global Centre of Excellence, which will feature 3,030 x330 W solar panels, making it one of largest rooftop solar installations in Western Australia,” the company said.

The facility will provide miners with access to global specialists in mineralogy, XRD, XRF, FTIR, ICP and statisticians, alongside a new technology and innovation hub with world-class technical expertise and superior customer service at its core, it said.

It will also include eight robotic automated systems, including sample preparation, XRF and wet chemistry systems.

Demonstrating its commitment to investing in advanced technology, Intertek has installed two Chrysos PhotonAssay units at the Minerals Global Centre of Excellence. These units show Intertek’s unwavering focus on leveraging innovation and will provide clients with more accurate and environmentally friendly analysis of gold and complementary elements, it said.

“The need for creative solutions is becoming ever more critical to solving today’s biggest energy and infrastructure challenges,” the company said. “True to its pioneering spirit, Intertek is constantly evaluating new instrumentation and technology to continuously improve quality, safety and efficiency and deliver value for our customers. The new Centre of Excellence shows Intertek’s unwavering focus on leveraging innovation and its commitment to providing clients with industry-leading, high quality analytical data.”

André Lacroix, Chief Executive Officer of Intertek, said: “The world has reached a tipping point in terms of sustainability and it is the movement of our time. As all industries seek to Build Back Ever Better, responsibly sourced commodities today will form the building blocks of a cleaner, greener, more sustainable tomorrow. This exciting new facility will provide our customers with instant access to world-class technical expertise, automated technology, pioneering innovation and services, all in one location.

“With a strong focus on technical excellence, data analytics and superior customer service, we will help the world’s leading mining companies accelerate to a sustainable future by Unearthing Xcellence, in turn enabling us to fulfil our mission of making the world a better, safer, more sustainable place for all.”

Intertek Minerals provides mineral testing services throughout the mining life cycle from exploration geochemistry, mine site laboratory services, minerals inspection, sampling and analysis, robotic laboratory solutions, environmental services and metallurgical testing services across the mining supply chain.

Among several new innovations Bruker has launched is a benchtop X-ray elemental analyser that, the company says, can speed up elemental analysis in mining applications and be integrated into automated laboratory environments.

Originally planned for a launch at the now delayed Analytica 2020, this week, Bruker has proceeded with an online launch of these new products.

The company says its next-generation benchtop energy dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer, S2 PUMA™ Series 2, is equipped with HighSense™ technology for increases in throughput by about a factor of three times.

Bruker’s software, SPECTRA.ELEMENTS™, comes with enhanced features and faster algorithms, leading to circa-40% shorter evaluation times, the company said.

The S2 PUMA Series 2 supports elemental analysis applications from cement, steel, mining and petrochemical, to food analysis and pharma quality control, according to the company.

The benchtop EDXRF instrument is used for solid and liquid samples, prepared or bulk, for the elemental analysis from carbon to americium (C – Am), according to Bruker. “Detectable elemental concentrations in the samples can range from parts per million up to 100%,” it said.

Bruker continued: “The HighSense technology of the S2 PUMA Series 2 combines high-power (50 W), long-life-time X-ray tube with closely coupled optics and the HighSense detectors. The HighSense (for Na to Am) and HighSense LE detector (C-Am) are next generation silicon drift detectors with high count rates, superb energy resolution, and Peltier-cooling for shortest measurement times, excellent data quality and low operation costs

“The unique sample handling options of the S2 PUMA Series 2 make it the perfect fit for many applications in industry and research, where precise and accurate results must be delivered fast on an easy-to-operate instrument.”

Depending on sample type and desired throughput, the versions Single, XY Autochanger, Carousel, Automation, and Mapping-Stage are available, the company said.

And, according to Bruker, the S2 PUMA Series 2 Automation is the only benchtop EDXRF spectrometer ready for full integration into automated laboratory environments.

“The Mapping-Stage enables automated multi-spot analysis collected on small and large samples (up to 152 mm in diameter),” Bruker said.

Intertek opens state-of-the-art new laboratory in Western Australia

Bruker brings benchtop EDXRF into lab automation space