Although a great tool for structural characterization of samples, conventional micro-CT can struggle to provide contrast between minerals with similar effective atomic number (the “total” average atomic number of the mineral) and/or density. A well-known example of this is the contrast between Pyrite (FeS2) and Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), the world’s most important copper ore mineral. Their specific atomic number and density properties make it extremely hard to differentiate between them using conventional CT. New advances in Spectral CT provide unique capabilities to use X-ray imaging as a tool to extract density and effective atomic number at any point inside a sample non-destructively.
The image below, acquired using the latest release of the TESCAN Spectral Suite, demonstrates the power of this technology, showing an internal mapping of Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, and Quartz within a small sulfide ore sample.
Want to learn more on how Spectral CT can be used for mineralogy and other fields in geoscience? Register now for our upcoming webinar!
Visit info.tescan.com/micro-CT for more info on TESCAN micro-CT or info.tescan.com/tescan-spectral-CT for more information on TESCAN spectral CT.