Mineral Ore Beneficiation is the process of improving the economic value of mined ore by removing unwanted gangue (waste) minerals and increasing the concentration of valuable minerals through various physical and chemical methods. The goal is to produce a higher-grade product (concentrate) suitable for further processing or direct use in industries.
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Key Steps in Mineral Ore Beneficiation:
1. Crushing & Grinding:
– Reduces ore size to liberate valuable minerals from gangue.
– Uses jaw crushers, cone crushers, and ball mills.
2. Screening & Classification:
– Separates particles by size (e.g., vibrating screens, hydrocyclones).
3. Gravity Separation:
– Uses density differences (e.g., jigs, spirals, shaking tables).
– Effective for heavy minerals like gold, tin, and iron ore.
4. Magnetic Separation:
– Separates magnetic minerals (e.g., magnetite) using magnets.
5. Froth Flotation:
– Uses chemicals to make target minerals hydrophobic (repel water) so they attach to air bubbles and float.
– Common for sulfide ores (copper, lead, zinc).
6. Leaching & Solvent Extraction:
– Dissolves metals (e.g., gold in cyanide solution).
– Used in hydrometallurgy.
7. Dewatering & Tailings Management:
– Removes water from concentrates (thickeners, filters).
– Safe disposal of waste (tailings) to prevent environmental harm.
Objectives of Beneficiation:
– Increase metal content per ton of ore.
– Reduce transportation costs by removing waste.
– Improve smelting/refining.jpg)
ficiency.
– Minimize environmental impact by reducing waste volume.
Examples:
– Iron Ore Beneficiation: Magnetic separation removes silica.
– Copper Ore Beneficiation: Froth flotation separates chalcopyrite from gangue.
– Gold Ore Processing: Gravity + cyanide leaching extracts gold.
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