Development of a new equivalent circuit model for spectral induced polarization data analysis of ore samples

Abstract

Equivalent circuit analysis is a valuable tool for the interpretation of spectral induced polarization (SIP) data. It is not easy to select an appropriate circuit model for analyzing SIP data of ores because the ores are heterogeneous and the circuit model has ambiguity. In view of this, a new circuit model, which was based on the electrochemical theory, was developed; and its suitability was evaluated by comparing it with the Dias and the Cole–Cole circuit models. The proposed model performed significantly better than both the Dias and the Cole–Cole circuit models. The normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of the new model ranged from 4.41 to 0.87 % while that of the other models ranged from 12.17 to 6.02 %. This study clearly demonstrates that the new circuit model is useful for analysis of the SIP data. Additionally, the relationship between the SIP parameters and the characteristics of metallic minerals was elucidated.