A radiation detection system that includes a radiation detector, a photo multiplier tube, and a pulse height analyzer. The radiation detector is configured to emit light when exposed to radiation. The photo multiplier tube is configured to convert the light to an electrical signal. The pulse height analyzer is configured to output at least one value associated with an amount of radiation detected based on at least in part on the electrical signal.

A distribution system for use in an induction system with an object processing system. The distribution system provides dissimilar objects into one of a plurality of receiving units. The distribution system includes an air intake system with an opening that is a fixed distance from a conveyor section, said air intake system aiding in moving an object on the conveyor section from the conveyor section to one of a plurality of adjacent transport units.

A method for sorting, in a continuous flow, contaminated materials, which includes: conveying materials from a point (A) to a point (B) by means of a conveyor; measuring the radioactive activity by means of a first sensor between the points (A) and (B) on the top surface (FSUP) of the first conveyor; and sorting the materials by means of a sorting device. The method may include measuring the radioactive activity of the contaminated material by means of a second sensor, either on the top surface (FSUP) of the conveyor and upstream from the point (A), or below the bottom surface (FINF) of said conveyor; calculating a differential measurement between a measurement from the second sensor and from the first sensor; and restricting the sorting to the comparison between a threshold value and the measurement from the first sensor or the differential measurement.

A method for sorting, in a continuous flow, contaminated materials, which includes: conveying materials from a point (A) to a point (B) by means of a conveyor; measuring the radioactive activity by means of a first sensor between the points (A) and (B) on the top surface (FSUP) of the first conveyor; and sorting the materials by means of a sorting device. The method may include measuring the radioactive activity of the contaminated material by means of a second sensor, either on the top surface (FSUP) of the conveyor and upstream from the point (A), or below the bottom surface (FINF) of said conveyor; calculating a differential measurement between a measurement from the second sensor and from the first sensor; and restricting the sorting to the comparison between a threshold value and the measurement from the first sensor or the differential measurement.

The sorting method includes: an X-ray inspection step of irradiating a resin piece with X-rays including a first X-ray and a second X-ray having respective energy ranges different from each other and measuring a first transmission intensity which is an intensity of the first X-ray transmitted through the resin piece and a second transmission intensity which is an intensity of the second X-ray transmitted through the resin piece; a first determination step of making a determination as to whether the resin piece is a candidate for a useful resin piece, using the first transmission intensity; and a second determination step of making a determination as to whether a resin piece identified as a candidate for a useful resin piece in the first determination step is a useful resin piece, using a differential value obtained from the first transmission intensity and the second transmission intensity.

The sorting method includes: an X-ray inspection step of irradiating a resin piece with X-rays including a first X-ray and a second X-ray having respective energy ranges different from each other and measuring a first transmission intensity which is an intensity of the first X-ray transmitted through the resin piece and a second transmission intensity which is an intensity of the second X-ray transmitted through the resin piece; a first determination step of making a determination as to whether the resin piece is a candidate for a useful resin piece, using the first transmission intensity; and a second determination step of making a determination as to whether a resin piece identified as a candidate for a useful resin piece in the first determination step is a useful resin piece, using a differential value obtained from the first transmission intensity and the second transmission intensity.

The invention relates to the area of mineral processing, and more particularly to separation of crushed mined material containing minerals, which are luminescent under the action of exciting radiation, into products to be concentrated and tailing products. The invention can be implemented both in X-ray-luminescent sorters at all beneficiation stages and in product inspection devices, like diamondiferous raw materials testing. The method of X-ray-luminescent separation of minerals consists of transportation of the flow of material being separated, irradiation of this material by periodic sequence of exciting radiation pulses within the specified section of the material free falling trajectory, registration of intensity of the mineral luminescence signal during each sequence period, real-time processing, in accordance with the specified conditions for each of the kinetic components of the registered signal, in order to determine the separation parameters, comparison of the parameters obtained to be specified threshold values, and separation of the mineral to be concentrated from the flow of material being transported according to the results of comparison.

The invention relates to the area of mineral processing, and more particularly to separation of crushed mined material containing minerals, which are luminescent under the action of exciting radiation, into products to be concentrated and tailing products. The invention can be implemented both in X-ray-luminescent sorters at all beneficiation stages and in product inspection devices, like diamondiferous raw materials testing. The method of X-ray-luminescent separation of minerals consists of transportation of the flow of material being separated, irradiation of this material by periodic sequence of exciting radiation pulses within the specified section of the material free falling trajectory, registration of intensity of the mineral luminescence signal during each sequence period, real-time processing, in accordance with the specified conditions for each of the kinetic components of the registered signal, in order to determine the separation parameters, comparison of the parameters obtained to be specified threshold values, and separation of the mineral to be concentrated from the flow of material being transported according to the results of comparison.

A material sorting system sorts materials, such as scrap pieces composed of unknown metal alloys, as a function of their detected x-ray fluorescence. The x-ray fluorescence may be converted into an elemental composition signature that is then compared to an elemental composition signature of a reference material in order to identify and/or classify each of the materials, which are then sorted into separate groups based on such an identification/classification. The material sorting system may include an in-line x-ray tube having a plurality of separate x-ray sources, each of which can irradiate a separate stream of materials to be sorted.

When x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is utilized to classify materials transported on a moving conveyor belt, there is the possibility of the x-ray beam only partially irradiating the material piece, which can result in the capture of an inaccurate XRF spectrum needed to classify the material piece. This can lead to an improper (erroneous) classification and resultant sortation of material pieces (e.g., aluminum alloys). In a material handling system, the area of the intersections between the x-ray beam spots from an x-ray fluorescence system and the material pieces are measured and correspondingly used to correct the measured XRF spectrum associated with each material piece. The material pieces can then be sorted according to the corrected XRF spectrum.