Mineral processing

Mineral processing separates valuable minerals from mined ore and waste rock, then prepares the recovered material for extraction or use.

Comminution: The size reduction of solid materials by crushing and grinding. Crushing and grinding expose valuable mineral grains by breaking the ore apart.
Ore grade: The concentration of a valuable element or mineral in an ore. Grade helps set the economic threshold for processing and the value of concentrate.
Ore sorting: The separation of ore pieces using detectable differences such as color, density, or elemental composition. Sorting can reject waste rock before it enters energy-intensive grinding circuits.
Extractive metallurgy: The science and technology of extracting metals from ores, concentrates, and recycled materials. It includes downstream chemical and thermal recovery beyond physical concentration.
Mineral liberation: The separation of valuable mineral grains from surrounding gangue within an ore. Liberation determines how finely ore must be ground before separation can work.
Gangue: The unwanted minerals accompanying valuable minerals in an ore deposit. Gangue is the material processing must reject while retaining valuable minerals.
Copper extraction: The recovery of copper from ores or concentrates using physical, chemical, or electrochemical methods. Copper production relies on mineral processing to prepare suitable feed for extraction.
Hydrometallurgy: The extraction and recovery of metals using aqueous solutions and chemical reactions. Leaching dissolves metals chemically, unlike the physical separations central to processing.
Froth flotation: A separation process in which selected particles attach to rising bubbles and collect in a froth. Surface chemistry lets flotation concentrate minerals such as copper sulfides from ground ore.
Particle size distribution: A description of the proportions of particles across a range of sizes. Separation performance depends on the sizes produced by crushing and grinding.

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