Minerals

Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic substances with a specific chemical composition and crystalline structure. Each mineral has unique physical properties, such as color, hardness, luster, and density, which make them identifiable. There are thousands of known minerals, with new ones being discovered regularly, each contributing to the diversity and complexity of the natural world.

Minerals are indispensable to our daily lives and the advancement of technology. They are used in everything from building materials and electronic devices to renewable energy technologies and medical equipment. Understanding minerals also helps in the exploration and sustainable extraction of natural resources, ensuring that these materials can be utilized responsibly and efficiently.

Mineral types

What are the different mineral types?

Mineralogy is a large field, as there are hundreds of types of minerals on Earth. As it is difficult to categorize them explicitly, here are three main categories under which it is possible to gather most of the minerals.

Rare Earth Elements

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium. Despite their name, most of these elements are relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, but their dispersed nature makes them challenging to extract in economically viable concentrations.

REEs are known for their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties, which make them indispensable in modern technology and various scientific applications.

The unique properties of Rare Earth Elements have led to their widespread use in a variety of fields such as electronics, aerospace and other energy technologies.

Rocks

Rocks are naturally occurring solid aggregates of minerals and mineraloids that form the building blocks of the Earth's crust. They are categorized into three main types based on their origin and formation processes: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.

Each type of rock provides a unique record of the Earth's history, revealing information about past environments, geological events, and the processes that shaped our planet.

HORIBA TECHNO SERVICE Joins Team Analyzing Bennu Asteroid Samples Collected by the NASA OSIRIS-REx Sample Collector

Gemstones

Gemstones are naturally occurring minerals that have been selected for their beauty, durability, and rarity, and are often cut and polished for use in jewelry and decorative items. These precious and semi-precious stones have been valued by cultures throughout history for their aesthetic appeal and symbolic meanings. Gemstones can be classified into different categories based on their mineral composition, color, and optical properties, each with its own unique allure.

Gemstones are used in various technologies; for instance, diamonds are used in cutting and drilling tools due to their hardness, while quartz is essential in timekeeping and electronic devices for its piezoelectric properties.

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What are the analytical needs?

The analytical needs of mineralogy are diverse and encompass a range of scientific techniques to understand minerals' composition, structure, formation, and applications. These needs are essential for advancing knowledge in geology, developing new materials, and managing natural resources sustainably. Through precise and comprehensive analysis, mineralogy contributes to scientific research, technological innovation, environmental management, and economic development.

Mineral Phase Analysis

Elemental analysis involves determining the types and concentrations of elements present in a mineral sample. This analysis is essential for understanding the mineral's composition, formation processes, and potential applications.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) can measure the concentration of major, minor, and trace elements, essential for understanding the overall composition of minerals, and notably for REE analysis.
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectroscopy is used to determine the elemental composition of mineral samples, which is critical for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. µ-XRF also allows mapping and full identification of multiphase minerals.
Cathodoluminescence enables a rapid identification of different minerals in small volumes and very low concentration. This technique is essential for studying the processes of mineral origin and formation.
Raman Spectroscopy can distinguish between different mineral phases based on their unique vibrational spectra. This technique is particularly useful for identifying polymorphs and determining mineral phase transitions.
Particle Characterization Analyzers can help identify the different mineral phases present in a sample through the analysis of the size of particles which influences the physical properties of minerals, such as bulk density, porosity and adsorption capacity.

Microstructural Analysis

Microstructural analysis examines the internal structure of minerals at the microscopic level. This analysis helps in understanding the texture and formation history of the mineral.

Cathodoluminescence is a powerful technique for identifying and visualizing microstructures in minerals using high-resolution imaging or spectral analysis. This technique is often used to understand the formation and alteration processes of minerals.
Raman Microscopy is useful for examining the microstructure of minerals, identifying inclusions, and studying the distribution of different phases within a sample.
Particle Characterization Analyzers can measure particle size distribution and shape. These parameters are important for understanding the microstructural properties of powdered minerals.
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectroscopy can reveal defects and inclusions through transmission detection.
Spectrofluorescence is used to differentiate mineral phases based on their unique fluorescence emission characteristics.

Surface Characterization

Surface characterization focuses on studying the surface properties and chemical composition of minerals. This analysis is important for understanding interactions with the environment, surface reactivity, and weathering processes.

Raman Spectroscopy can be used to study the surface chemistry of minerals, including the identification of surface phases, chemical bonds, and reaction products. This is valuable for understanding surface interactions, corrosion, and weathering processes.
Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES) allows depth profiling elemental analysis useful to perform aging or corrosion studies on layered minerals and materials.
Spectroscopic Ellipsometry is traditionally used for thin films and coatings. This technique can be adapted to study the surface properties of minerals, including thickness, optical properties, refractive index (in particular anisotropy), electrical properties, and surface modifications.
Cathodoluminescence can reveal small variations in chemistry and structure of minerals
Particle Characterization Analyzers can characterize surfaces and thus helps analyzing and understanding the functional and structural properties of minerals (molecules adsorption, fluid storage capacity, mechanical resistance, …). The specific surface of minerals can help interpret processes such as soil formation, rock weathering and metamorphism.
Spectrofluorescence helps identify surface features, compositions, and chemical reactions, providing insights into mineral surface properties.

Purity and Contamination Analysis

Purity and contamination analysis involves detecting and quantifying impurities or foreign substances within a mineral. This analysis is essential for quality control and ensuring the suitability of minerals for specific applications. It also plays an important role in the detection of counterfeit.

Raman Spectroscopy can detect trace levels of foreign substances in minerals, which is crucial for assessing purity and detecting contamination.
Cathodoluminescence can detect structural defects, such as dislocations, vacancies, and inclusions, which may influence the mineral's physical properties.
ICP-OES and XRF can analyze the presence of undesirable elements, which is important for applications where high purity is required, such as in the production of high-tech materials.
Particle Characterization Analyzers can detect, quantify and understand the presence of contaminants or impurities, thus guaranteeing mineral quality and integrity. The presence of different particle sizes may indicate contamination by other minerals or unwanted mineral phases.
Spectrofluorescence can distinguish impurities and contaminants by analyzing their unique fluorescence signals, helping to assess the purity of the mineral.

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What are the analytical solutions?

HORIBA offers a range of analytical instruments and solutions tailored to meet the needs of mineral analysis in advanced materials. HORIBA's comprehensive range of analytical tools helps researchers and industry professionals to accurately and efficiently analyze REEs, ensuring the development and production of high-quality advanced materials.

As stated previously, the analysis of minerals can be performed with instruments using different techniques like Raman imaging and spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence, ICP-OES, GDOES, X-ray fluorescence, spectroscopic ellipsometry, particle characterization, and spectrofluorescence.