METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING DIAMONDS IN KIMBERLITE Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC G01N23/222 G01T1/16 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: apparatus for detecting diamonds in kimberlite includes a conveyor for feeding kimberlite into a region for irradiation thereof with a stream of fast neutrons, under which there is a deuteron accelerator as a source of fast neutrons, radiation detectors mounted over the conveyor, a power supply system, a system for receiving and analysing data from the radiation detectors, an apparatus control system, wherein the source of fast neutrons used is a portable neutron generator in which the binary reaction d+t→α(3.5 MeV)+n(14.1 MeV) occurs. The portable neutron generator is equipped with a built-in multi-element silicon alpha-detector; the apparatus is equipped with a gamma-ray detector system mounted over the conveyor; the alpha-detector and gamma-ray detector system are connected to an electronic system for receiving and analysing data, which is connected by communication lines to the apparatus control system; the apparatus is equipped with means of protecting the gamma-ray detectors from direct neutron radiation from the portable neutron generator. The invention also employs a fundamentally different physical method of detecting diamonds, which is based on detecting characteristic gamma-rays resulting from inelastic neutron scattering on nuclei of the analysed substance.

EFFECT: detecting large diamonds in kimberlite before the cleavage stage, preventing breakup of large diamonds, high efficiency of extracting large diamonds.

2 cl, 3 dwg