New device offers opportunities for mining and construction industries
The world-first use of a muon detector by the mining sector has highlighted the potential for blue-sky research to solve industry challenges.
Speaking at the AusIMM Mine Waste and Tailings Conference 2023, researchers demonstrated how a new muon detection platform had been used to scan large structures at BHP’s Prominent Hill mine site, opening the way for these kinds of technologies to aid in monitoring stability.
Muons are heavier versions of electrons that are made from the collision of cosmic rays with atoms in Earth’s atmosphere and can act as a kind of x-ray to visualise conditions within hundreds of metres of rock.
This characteristic of muons has been harnessed to provide mining and construction industries with the ability to ‘see through’ structures to detect weaknesses.
The platform was developed by mDetect, an innovative start-up comprising members of the Dark Matter Centre, including Swinburne University of Technology Pro Vice Chancellor of Flagship Initiatives, Alan Duffy.
In an interview with Robyn Williams on The Science Show on ABC Radio National, Professor Duffy explained his joy at the translation of fundamental science to industry.
“It was a thrill to see something that came out of the most blue-sky, fundamental of research, to actually be used in the mining sector to try to safeguard these waste storage facilities; it was a wonderful moment.”
Professor Duffy explained how the muon detector, developed with his cofounder and CDM member Dr Shanti Krishan, enclosed in a simple yellow protective case helped see through large structures to identify weaknesses.
“The origin of the muons is coming from space, or rather from our atmosphere … they travel down and they will punch through potentially hundreds of metres of rock before stopping.
“If you put a detector such as this little yellow box underneath the area of interest the muons will pass through and if there is a dense structure they will get absorbed so you will get a shadow. If there is a crack or a large void you will have more arrive than you had anticipated and so that will be a hotspot.
“In other words, literally an x-ray using the highest energy particles we’ve ever recorded rather than your bog-standard x-ray machines.”
Professor Duffy said the innovation improved on existing techniques to efficiently and effectively determine the integrity of structures that could span kilometres.
“Certainly, you can use other probes and the challenge with anything to do with radiation detectors is that you have to use licenses and there are hazards of using that.
“They prefer to use other techniques – surface scanning, they can even use satellite imagery to check the structural stability of these kilometers across enormous earthworks - but nothing gives you the ability to see quite like the superman-esque x-ray vision to see through the structure and reveal those areas of weakness.
“We really did provide something unique. It got a lot of attention.”
You can hear Professor Duffy talk about the innovative meeting of muons and mining on The Science Show.