Nuclear Measuring Techniques in Mining and Processing of Manganese Nodules

By utilizing characteristic interaction processes of nuclear radiation with matter along with automatic data acquisition and reduction, nuclear measuring techniques may successfully be applied for solving various analytical instrumentation problems in mining and processing of manganese nodules. Development work performed at the Geesthacht research centre demonstrates that gamma-ray transmission spectrometry allows a reliable quasi-continuous and non-destructive determination of both the nodule drift velocity and the space concentrations of nodules, sediment and water in a conveyer flow. Such data are representative of the efficiency of collector or hydraulic lift systems and are of considerable importance in economy deliberations. Measuring devices have been designed which may be attached to a conveyer pipe in the deep-sea. For elemental analyses of manganese nodules a rapid nuclear method based on fast-neutron activation techniques has been developed that allows determinations of the most relevant metals without sample treatment, thus being particularly suited for quasicontinuous applications.