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Low cost surveys

We will develop innovative low cost approaches to characterize critical raw materials in the field

Case Studies

We will use high-tech field instruments along the mining value chain including exploration, mining and environmental assessment.

Collaboration

The LoCoSu project creates high-quality and sustainable scientific cooperation structures.

Field Portable Instruments

The LoCoSu project explores the use of high-tech field tools in exploration, mining, and environmental surveys.

LoCoSu

Low cost surveys for high-technology metals: Applying field portable instruments under quasi-realistic conditions in Subsaharan Africa

The BMBF-funded LoCoSu project aims to identify and apply innovative low-cost approaches to characterize the abundance of critical raw materials using portable, high-tech field instruments. A team of German and African scientists will explore the use of these field tools in exploration, active mining, mining residues and wastes, and environmental surveys of mineralized materials. Our team will develop and improve methodologies to analyse mineral commodities, particularly those that are crucial to the high-technology industry, and will jointly elaborate a handbook for the usage of portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and infrared (pIR) spectrometers.

September 26, 2019

LoCoSu team attended the SGA 2019 conference

From the 26th to the 30th September the LoCoSu team attended the international SGA 2019 conference in Glasgow (Scotland) focused on economic geology related topics. Aside attending numerous presentations and poster sessions, we presented our project activities during two poster sessions. Exchange of opinions and making new contacts made the contribution a full success.

August 1, 2019

Workshops and Short Course held at the RWTH

Workshop and Short Courses concerning the application of portable X-ray fluorescence in the geo and resource sciences were held at the RWTH Aachen University in August 2019. The courses concerned a broad spectrum of topics which are of relevance for geologists and mining engineers, including e.g. safety guidelines for the use of portable instruments, application and methodology of pXRF, presentation of geochemical data of pXRF and the applied usage of portable XRF tools. The courses were attended by a small group of PhD students, which allowed us to delve deep into the subject. The courses were held in cooperation with Dr Lemière from the Frensh Geological Survey, an international expert in pXRF analysis. The contributions of Dr Lemière led to several lively discussions and were thus very valuable for all participants.

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