Online energy dispersive X-ray diffraction analyser

An on-line energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) analyser for mineralogical analysis of material in a process stream, the EDXRD analyser comprising:

• a housing defining an analysis zone and having a passageway through it to allow transport of material in a process stream to pass through the analysis zone;
• a collimated source of polychromatic X-rays and an energy resolving X-ray detector, each of which are disposed in relation to the housing;
• a primary beam collimator disposed between the collimated source of polychromatic X-rays and the energy resolving X-ray detector, the primary beam collimator comprising an annular slit which defines an incident beam of polychromatic X-rays to irradiate a portion of the analysis zone;
• a scatter collimator disposed between the primary beam collimator and the energy resolving X-ray detector, the scatter collimator comprising an annular slit which defines a diffracted beam of X-rays scattered by the material to converge towards the energy resolving X-ray detector;
• and
• a detector collimator comprising a conical opening which further defines the diffracted beam of X-rays scattered by the material;
• where the energy resolving X-ray detector measures an energy spectrum of the diffracted X-rays at a predetermined diffraction angle, where the relative positioning of each of the source of polychromatic X-rays, the primary beam collimator, the scatter collimator, the energy resolving X-ray detector and detector collimator defines the diffraction angle, and where at least one of the primary beam collimator and the scatter collimator further comprises an aperture, the or each aperture arranged to enable a detector to measure the transmission of a direct beam of X-rays through the material.