Acta Petrologica et Mineralogica

TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer (TIMA) is an analysis system based on a scanning electron microscope that incorporates multiple X-ray spectrometers and other detectors. It could automatically identify minerals and produce images. TIMA has been widely applied in earth sciences, including petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry, petroleum, and paleontology, particularly in the rapid analysis of some geological samples with complex mineral composition and structure and small grain size, and a large number of repetitive samples to obtain statistical data for research purposes. In order to achieve the goals of analysis and save costs, it is crucial to select the optimal analytical conditions, but this aspect is often overlooked. This article takes sample of gold-bearing pyrite-sericite-quartz altered rock from the Huachanggou gold deposit in Lueyang County, Shaanxi Province, as an example. Using TIMA, the samples were analyzed under different scanning modes, analysis types, and various experimental parameter settings. The study compared the mineral phase composition data, image quality of mineral phase maps and elemental distribution maps in a small field, as well as statistical data such as mineral grain size. The results indicate that the main factors influencing the quality of TIMA analysis are the backscattered electron (BSE) pixel spacing, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) test dot spacing, and X-ray acquisition counts. The selection of analytical conditions primarily depends on the mineral composition, mineral grain size, and the purpose of the analysis.

TIMA; mineralogy; analytical condition; fine grain; gold deposit