Application of the mineral liberation analysis (MLA) for extraction of grain size and shape measurements in siliciclastic sedimentary rocks

¹ Polish Academy of Sciences, Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Cracow, Poland
² Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geological Sciences, Krakow Research Center, Cracow, Poland

^* Corresponding author: jpszonka@min-pan.krakow.pl

Abstract

The mineral liberation analysis setup (MLA) consists of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) - based backscattered electron (BSE) image with an energy dispersive X-ray system (EDX) for elemental analysis and a computer software that integrates images and X-ray identification of minerals and maps their distribution. Thereby, various quantitative and qualitative data sets are collected including grain size distribution and shape parameters such as aspect ratio, shape factor and angularity. Other techniques, e.g. the Gazzi-Dickinson point counting method or frequently questionable image analysis software to extract data for textural analysis are time consuming, strenuous and with limitations that need to be addressed. Significant productivity of the mineral liberation analysis provides statistical representation and thereby stringent arguments to detect and suggest some potential solving in uncertainty and complexity of the submarine gravity flows phenomenon that is extremely difficult to monitor, however volumetrically the most significant processes moving sediments on Earth. The mineral liberation analysis seems to be one of the most suitable method to acquire such data set.