ABSTRACT

The electron microscope is an important tool that can be used to solve a wide range of problems in mineral processing. The principal advantage of the electron microscope is that it allows samples to be imaged with much better resolution than is possible using the optical microscope. In addition, electron microscopy can provide chemical composition and crystallographic information on a submicron scale. Electron microscopy can be applied to mineral exploration, the development of new mineral processing techniques, monitoring and incremental improvement of processes, characterization of feedstocks, wear and failure analysis, lifetime prediction, quality control, characterization of waste products, and occupational health and safety.