A CASE OF IMPLEMENTING ON-LINE ANALYSIS OF IRON ORE SLURRIES

An account is presented of the development and implementation of an on-line analyzer in an iron ore pelletizing plant. The analyzer uses Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technology to interrogate the target material and determine the concentration of key elements. Following primary slurry sampling, prior conditioning is necessary to ensure reliable determinations. The instrument has proved to be a very sensitive detector of process perturbations of either chemical or physical origin and has enabled plant operators to exert tighter control over the chemistry of the final product.