Ore processing primarily involves mechanical steps to prepare the material, followed by a metallurgical process to extract the desired product.
Once ores are extracted from the earth, the initial processing involves several mechanical stages to separate the valuable minerals from waste rock. This mechanical process is crucial for concentrating the ore before further refinement.
The mechanical processing steps, based on the provided reference, include:
- Crushed: Reducing the size of the raw ore into smaller pieces.
- Sorted: Separating different types of rock or minerals based on various properties.
- Ground: Further reducing particle size, often to a fine powder, which is necessary for many subsequent processes.
- Screened: Sizing particles using screens to separate them based on their dimensions.
- Decanted: Separating liquids from solids by carefully pouring off the liquid after the solid has settled.
- Filtered: Separating solids from liquids using a filter medium.
- Dried: Removing moisture from the processed material.
After these mechanical preparations, the material undergoes a metallurgical process. This stage typically involves chemical or thermal methods, such as smelting or leaching, to refine the concentrated ore and extract the final metal or mineral product.
These processing steps transform the raw material removed from the earth into a form suitable for various industrial applications.
