A technical session at ACFAS annual meeting, Saguenay, May 11,th 2018

http://www.acfas.ca/evenements/congres/programme/86/200/210/c

Mineralogy was "the'" geological science during the years of enlightenment, end of XIXth century. And it's coming back as one of the most powerful tool to clue geological processes and resources. Rocks are not only chemical compounds, they are assemblage of minerals, the relation and composition of which may tell long history to academics', exploration geologists or environment specialists.

To keep the geological community in pace with latest developments, the annual convention of ''Association Canadienne-Française pour l'Avancement des Sciences'' (ACFAS) and Dr. Paul Bédard from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, are organizing a technical session on applied mineralogy. Strong of its close relationship with the UQAC Earth Science Ddepartment, IOS R&D team is promoting the session by offering 5 technical talks (in French) :

- Development of a reference material for gold grain counting in glacial sediments (J.-F. Boivin, M.Sc., P. Geo.).
- ARTMin: An automated algorithm for mineral phase identification using fully deconvoluted SEM chemical microanalysis (J. Tremblay, M.Sc., Jr. Eng.P.Geo).
- Gold grain morphology automated classification based on machine learning (A. Néron, M.Sc., Ing Jr. Eng.jr.).
- In situe metal speciation in soil as revealed by real-time X-Ray imaging (R. Girard, P. Geéo).
- Lac Doré Complex titanomagnetite : Sub-solidus cooling history. (J.-P. Arguin, M.Sc., Géo Geo Stg).

This program offers a review of our recent R&D development, and how these technologies support exploration progress.

"There are those who follow the rules... and those who define them!'"

Example of a polished thin section from a magnetite bearing gabbro, where various the mineral phases are mapped and classified. Automated quantification of phase relations enables to evaluate mineral reaction coronas as well as to forecast mineral liberation in the course of ore dressing.