Abstract
The mineral liberation analysis setup (MLA) consists of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) - based backscattered electron (BSE) image with an energy dispersive X-ray system (EDX) for elemental analysis and a computer software that integrates images and X-ray identification of minerals and maps their distribution. Thereby, various quantitative and qualitative data sets are collected including grain size distribution and shape parameters such as aspect ratio, shape factor and angularity. Other techniques, e.g. the Gazzi-Dickinson point counting method or frequently questionable image analysis software to extract data for textural analysis are time consuming, strenuous and with limitations that need to be addressed. Significant productivity of the mineral liberation analysis provides statistical representation and thereby stringent arguments to detect and suggest some potential solving in uncertainty and complexity of the submarine gravity flows phenomenon that is extremely difficult to monitor, however volumetrically the most significant processes moving sediments on Earth. The mineral liberation analysis seems to be one of the most suitable method to acquire such data set.
Highlights
The mineral liberation analysis (MLA) is done by an automated measurement system, created to provide quantitative analyses of mineral species and material fragments
Two MLA measurement methods are the most common: 1. the extended backscattered electron (BSE) (XBSE) for particle mounts, where the single X-ray analysis is used for identification of minerals and the BSE imaging for discrimination of their boundaries, 2. the grain X-ray mapping (GXMAP) for thin sections, where detailed X-ray analysis on a grid pattern is used for both identification of minerals and discrimination of their boundaries because BSE imaging is insufficient to distinguish them
Mineral liberation analysis measurements were performed at the Geometallurgy Laboratory at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, on the scanning electron microscope FEI Quanta 600 FEG equipped with the Bruker Quantax Dual X-Flash Detector 5010 and the MLA–software Suite 3.1.4 for automated data acquisition
Summary
The mineral liberation analysis (MLA) is done by an automated measurement system, created to provide quantitative analyses of mineral species and material fragments. This system is based on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer and a software: 1. Backscattered electron (BSE) image analysis allows to determine grain boundaries and sites for X-ray spectral acquisition, 2. The aim of this paper is to display how to obtain size- and shape-grain parameters of submarine gravity flow sediments. These textural characteristics are important indicators for submarine flow hydrodynamics
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