Metso has strengthened its mineralogy capabilities with a new investment at its Research Centre in Pori, Finland, aimed at helping mining customers accelerate project development and make better‑informed decisions from early design through to operational optimisation.
The upgrade centres on the installation of a TESCAN TIMA™ automated mineralogy analyser, a high‑resolution FE‑SEM system that integrates multidetector elemental analysis into a fully automated platform.
The technology significantly increases analysis speed and sample capacity, enabling Metso’s specialists to deliver high‑quality mineralogical data faster and at greater scale.
“In minerals processing and metals refining, the mineralogy of the feed material dictates the outcome of the entire process.
“By applying detailed mineralogical analysis to feed, concentrates, tailings, and other process products across mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, and pyrometallurgy, the foundation for selecting the appropriate metallurgical route at an early stage can be provided,” said Tero Kravtsov, Senior Mineralogist at Metso.
The enhanced capability supports faster flowsheet development and reduces uncertainty in project design.
“This investment strengthens the mineralogy expertise we have applied for decades. By expanding our analytical capacity and shortening turnaround times, the experts at the Pori Research Center can deliver clear, actionable mineralogical data for a greater number of cases. Such clarity directly reduces project risk and improves resource efficiency across the entire process,” explains Matthew Hicks, Director, Minerals Processing at Metso.
Metso’s Pori facility is one of the company’s key hubs for research and product development, covering mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, battery material process solutions and smelting technologies.
The expanded mineralogy capability reinforces Metso’s integrated offering, which spans advanced mineralogy, laboratory testing, pilot work and flowsheet development.
“Strengthening our mineralogy capabilities in Pori further enhances our ability to support early engagement with customers and improve efficiency.
This is key to promoting integrated Metso flowsheets built around our core products and technologies. Mineralogical characterization is essential in defining the optimal metallurgical route,” says Rodrigo Grau, Vice-President, Minerals Processing Solutions at Metso.