US 4,090,072 A · Method for determination of economically interesting metals in content of manganese nodules

Abstract

Presence of metals such as copper and nickel being economically interesting etals are determined as to existence thereof in the content of manganese nodules according to a method by means of analysis of the activation gamma spectrum of manganese nodule samples after a neutron irradiation thereon. The sample is irradiated with fast neutrons and from the resulting gamma spectrum the ratio of radiation intensities of two main component parts preferably manganese and iron is taken in order to determine the percentage metal content by way of empirically obtained geochemical correlation-data which reproduce the percentage parts of further elements dependent upon proportional ratio of two main elements of the manganese lumps.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method for determining the absolute content of economically interesting metals such as copper and nickel in manganese nodules, comprising the following steps:

(a) irradiating manganese nodule samples with essentially fast neutrons excluding interaction with thermal neutrons;
(b) recording the activation gamma-ray spectrum;
(c) taking from the gamma-ray spectrum of the irradiated sample the ratio of radiation intensities of two main components, preferably manganese and iron;
and
(d) determining from this ratio, via empirically obtained geochemical correlational information between the concentration ratio of two main elements and the present fractions of further elements, the absolute percent concentration of metals, not directly disclosed in the spectrum.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for determination of economically interesting metals in content of manganese nodules

Life of this patent

Method for determination of economically interesting metals in content of manganese nodules

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9