Diamant, Dubna, Russia:

Yu. N. Rogov, Head of Programming Engineer Department, yury.rogov@cern.ch
M. G. Sapozhnikov, Research Manager, Professor, Doctor of Physico-Mathematical Sciences

Yakutniproalmaz, ALROSA, Mirny, Russia:

G. M. Nikitin, Head of Center for Innovations and Technologies

Severalmaz, Arkhangelsk, Russia:
A. V. Yamov, Deputy Head of Production and Engineering Department

The results of tests of a pilot unit for diamond detection in kimberlite are discussed. The pilot unit operation is based on the tagged neuron method, which allows detecting diamond inside kimberlite without disintegration. The key point of the technique is irradiation of ore with fast 14.1 MeV neurons which, by inelastic scattering reaction, produce gamma-rays unique for each element the ore consists of. A diamond is detected in ore by carbon excess in a selected volume of kimberlite sample. The source of neurons was a portable neuron generator which formed 192 neuron beams. The beams divided the measurement zone into 192 subzones 8×8 mm in size, and characteristic gamma-rays were collected by a system of 14 gamma-detectors. The field tests held at the processing plant of SEVERALMAZ Pomorskaya Geological Exploration proved detectability of diamonds in ore grains 10 times larger than diamonds. The major characteristics of the plant were determined as diamond detectability of 97%, error probability of 7% and concentrate yield of 3%. At the moment, with support from Skolkovo Foundation, engineering of a pilot unit for dry kimberlite concentration by the tagged neuron method with a planned capacity up to 20 tph is in process.

The authors express their deep gratitude to Skolkovo Foundation and S. A. Zhurba for the financial support of the pilot unit engineering; ALROSA management represented by I. V. Sobolev, A. S. Chaadaev and V. A. Karnatsky for the support of the performance of tests; SEVERALMAZ management represented by A. V. Pismenny, I. I. Ivanov and V. V. Kolenchenko for the assistance in the testing activities; Diamant company staff members E. A. Andreev, V. M. Bystritsky, N. I. Zamyatin, E. V. Zubarev, A. V. Krasnoperov, P. P. Reunov, A. B. Sadovsky, R. A. Salmin, V. M. Slepnev, O. G. Tarasov and S. V. Khabarov for the participation in the pilot unit engineering and trials; Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics members E. P. Bogolyubov, Yu. K. Presnyakov, V. I. Ryzhkov, T. O. Khasaev and D. Yu. Yurkov for the creation of the unique neuron generator; SEVERALMAZ members R. R. Garifullin and L. N. Burmistrova for the relentless support and advice in the testing activities.

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