The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) and CIM Magazine have collaborated to bring you the Potash Webinar Series. Through it, SRC experts will share key learnings and new developments from their research and experience working with the potash industry across the production cycle – from mining to tailings.
In this four-part series (links to recordings below), you’ll learn about novel technologies, processes, equipment and insights that can help potash operations achieve greater efficiencies.
In the 1960s, the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) Geoanalytical Laboratories conducted an historical review of potash research, which led to the development of the ISO 17025 accredited Potash Assay method. The lab was requested by junior potash exploration company to develop a rapid analysis technique for elemental concentrations of water-soluble minerals, creating results similar to SRC’s original reports. This modernization of the Potash Assay Exploration Package met the analytical needs of the industry in Saskatchewan, and with continued method development, the analytical package was soon adopted for usein other major evaporite deposit regions, including Ethiopia, the southern United States and Brazil.
With international potash exploration increasing, industry has discovered that different deposits have similar mineralogy, but at varying degrees of complexity. Although the Potash Assay has proven to be a robust analysis method for both exploration and mining companies in Saskatchewan and abroad, some projects have benefitted from further analytical study. Analyzing potash samples with the XRD and QEMSCAN® at SRC’s Advanced Microanalysis Centre™ can provide the mineralogy, mineral associations, particle size distribution and mineral abundances.
This webinar will discuss the benefits of applying a variety of analysis techniques to a potash project. We’ll also explore how combining SRC’s Potash Assay with its microanalytical techniques can provide a more robust dataset for both exploration and mine operations by comparing the elemental concentrations with the mineralogy measured. Bring your questions! This is a great opportunity to ask an expert in geochemical analysis and tools.
Saskatchewan has the largest high-grade potash reserves in the world with relatively simple mineralogy. SRC’s Mineral Processing team has worked closely with the potash industry across the world, providing lab, bench and pilot-scale metallurgical testing, as well as small to medium commercial demonstration scale testing. Together with the potash industry, SRC Mineral Processing has developed numerous new technologies and processes to help the potash industry around the world address a variety of processing challenges, largely due to complicated mineralogy and clays issues.
The series
1. How Metallurgical Testing Can Improve Potash Processing. June 2, 2020. Watch the recording
2. Break the Code, Not the Rock: Computed Tomography for Potash. November 10, 2020. Watch the recording
3. Working Toward Solving Active Clay Challenges for Mining: Automated, Online Detection. November 24, 2020. Watch the recording
4. A Closer Look at Potash Analysis Techniques and Methodologies, December 8, 2020. Watch the recording
About SRC
The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is one of Canada’s leading providers of research and development and technology commercialization. SRC’s Mining and Energy team provides services that meet industry needs across the mining cycle for a wide range of commodities, including diamonds, uranium, potash, lithium, base metals, precious metals and rare earth elements. We provide technological solutions and testing, from exploration and design/feasibility to operations and closure.
Learn more about SRC Potash Services.
