Image: Qemscan pisoliths
Description: QEMSCAN cross-sectional image of pisoliths provided by courtesy of Intellection Pty. The QEMSCAN mineral map is emphasising that no two pisoliths are the same – although they generally have a nucleus and core which is then surrounded by several concentric layers. Pisoliths can form a bauxite ore, the main source of aluminium. Extraction of aluminium from the ore involves a complex chemical digestion technique known as the Bayer Process. The efficiency of this process is significantly reduced if impurities other than aluminium hydroxide (green) are present in the ore, such as quartz (pink), clays (brown) and iron oxides (orange) in the image.
Title: Qemscan pisoliths
Credit: FEI Company
Author: 03:14, 04 January 2011 (UTC)
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Attribution Required?: Yes
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