The phrase “automated mineralogy” has been synonymous with electron microscopy in the geosciences for decades. The use of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to rapidly map samples and identify phases of interest has gradually seen a shift out of its original industry applications and into the academic research environment. The issue for academics wishing to take advantage of this powerful tool is the original platforms are rigid in terms of outputs, and there has been a lack of development in both the software and hardware.

New mineralogy techniques and continual developments in 2D and 3D mean we now have the most advanced petrology research platforms ever devised, redefining the phrase automated mineralogy.