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5. Mineral Processing

Why processing is needed

Extracted material often contains valuable minerals mixed with unwanted rock. Processing separates or concentrates useful material.

Crushing and screening

Crushing reduces material size. Screening separates particles into size ranges and prepares feed for later stages.

Grinding

Grinding reduces particle size further to help liberate valuable minerals. Grinding circuits can consume significant energy.

Separation

Depending on the ore, processing may use gravity separation, magnetic separation, flotation or other techniques. The selected process depends on mineral properties and the desired product.

Tailings and concentrates

A concentrate is enriched in valuable minerals. Tailings are the remaining material after processing and require appropriate handling and storage.