A fluorescence imaging system for the identification and quantification of spodumene

The accelerating demand for lithium requires faster and more accurate methods for identifying spodumene during exploration and processing. Existing analytical tools can provide accurate mineral identification but are constrained by acquisition time, limited spatial coverage, and high cost. Here, we present the Spodumene Photoluminescence Optical Detection Device for Ore (SPODDO), a fluorescence imaging system for rapid, non-destructive spodumene detection and quantification. The system’s performance was validated in-house using heavy mineral concentrates, core cross-sections, and chip trays, demonstrating strong linearity (R 2 = 0.98 ) and a limit of quantification of 0.3 area% spodumene. Following laboratory calibration, SPODDO was field-validated against industry reference methods at the RTX Belmont Geolab. The system demonstrated reliable discrimination of spodumene across a range of samples including chip trays, resin blocks and drill cores. These results demonstrate SPODDO’s capability for rapid, mineral-specific imaging in both laboratory and near-field environments, thus supporting its use as a front-end screening tool for lithium exploration workflows.