The mineral exploration industry is increasingly aware of the importance of the relationship between mineralogical data
and geochemical assay results. However, until recently, the cost and time constraints of most techniques for analysing
alteration mineralogy have precluded detailed alteration studies. These impediments have been reduced by the
development of the Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA), a field portable infrared spectrometer that allows rapid
(in field) and cost effective analysis of alteration minerals including subtle variations in mineral crystallinity and
Composition.