X-rays in Geosciences and Mineralogy

Sigray’s AttoMap microXRF systems is a novel automated mineralogy solution that provides trace-level mapping at down to 3-5 µm resolution. For oil and gas exploration (digital rock physics), Sigray’s 3D x-ray microscopes (PrismaXRM and TriLambdaXRM) provide a multi-scale solution for in-situ three-phase flow and for multi-scale imaging of rock pores.

Automated Mineralogy with Micro X-ray Fluorescence (MicroXRF)

AttoMap provides a powerful complement to SEM-based mineralogy approaches by providing 1000X the sensitivity of SEM-EDS for trace elemental mapping. Because it was designed with a high vacuum enclosure, AttoMap-310 detects elements from Be to U and enables C, O, N mapping at high sensitivities (<1%). The system’s sensitivity to low atomic number elements, along with its AI-based grain segmentation, enables accurate mineralogical identification.

For correlative capabilities within the same tool, AttoMap provides integrated optical microscopy and footprint for additional modalities such as Raman spectroscopy.

Read our AttoMap Mineralogy Apps Note

Mineralogical mapping using Sigray’s AttoMap (left), a correlative optical image acquired with the AttoMap (upper right), and a SEM-EDS image of the same sample

Digital Rock Physics and in-situ Three-Phase Flow

Sigray’s PrismaXRM provides sub-100nm voxel and <500nm spatial resolution for high resolution, high contrast 3D imaging of rock samples ranging from cores to core plugs. Regions of interest identified with PrismaXRM can be imaged at even greater detail with TriLambdaXRM at down to 30nm resolution. This structural information can be fed into Digital Rock software to build a multi-scale model of a reservoir’s pore networks for determining optimal extraction approaches.

PrismaXRM was architected with the flexibility for in-situ experiments and can accommodate cells designed for two and three phase flow studies.

Cross-section of a shale sample taken in the PrismaXRM

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