ALROSA (1983–2011) (Mirny, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia):

Mironov V. P., Candidate of Physics and Mathematics, mironov2011@gmail.com

A group of luminescent kimberlite minerals was studied by an X-ray luminescence spectroscopy method. It was established, that with diamond luminescence intensity (luminescence yield) decrease, a tendency to its luminescence spectrum maximum shift towards longwave region is observed. Weakly-luminescent diamonds’ luminescence spectrum maximum is at 510–530 nm. Luminescence energy of diamonds’ associated minerals is concentrated mainly in blue or red regions. Luminescence energy minimum of separated minerals is in green region. It is shown, that separation efficiency is increased with X-ray luminescence registration in associated minerals’ luminescence minimum region. Separated minerals’ luminescence minimum region spectrum filtering permits to increase diamonds X-ray luminescent separation efficiency: decrease separated luminescent minerals yield into concentrate with the same diamonds recovery or increase diamonds recovery (decreasing separation processing losses) with the same concentrate yield. Separated minerals’ luminescence minimum region spectrum filtering does not require principal alterations in separators, nor substantial costs, therefore, application of this method is a high-efficiency technical solution. On the basis of the obtained results, the method of X-ray luminescence separation of minerals has been developed and protected by patent.

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