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Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Mineral processing is a major division in the science of Extractive Metallurgy. Extractive metallurgy has been defined as the science and art of extracting metals from their ores, refining them and preparing them for use. Within extractive metallurgy, the major divisions in the order they may most commonly occur are, Mineral Processing (or Beneficiation), Hydrometallurgy, Pyrometallurgy, and Electrometallurgy. The last steps in the winning of metals are in Physical Metallurgy where the composition and treatment of metals are varied to provide desired physical and mechanical properties. In mineral processing, a number of unit operations are required to prepare and classify ores before the valuable constituents can be separated or concentrated and then forwarded on for use or further treatment. The field of mineral processing has also been given other titles such as mineral dressing, ore dressing, mineral extraction, mineral beneficiation, and mineral engineering. These terms are often used interchangeably. 1.1 Ores and Minerals Ore is a term used to describe an aggregate of minerals from which a valuable constituent, especially a metal, can be profitably mined and extracted. Most rock deposits contain metals or minerals, but when the concentration of valuable minerals or metals is too low to justify mining, it is considered a waste or gangue material. Within an ore body, valuable minerals are surrounded by gangue and it is the primary function of mineral processing, to liberate and concentrate those valuable minerals. 1.2 Run-Of-Mine Material and Minerals Generally, mineral processing begins when an ore is delivered from a mine, to a processing facility. At this point, the ore is called run-of-mine material because there has been no treatment performed on it. There are three primary types of run-of-mine materials: 1. Run-of-mine consisting of useful materials. These could include granites, building sand, limestone, coal and clays. Note that materials in this category are not classified as minerals. 2. Run-of-mine containing useful minerals. The minerals in this category among others include fluorite, apatite, diamonds and gemstones, vermiculite, barite, wollanstonite and chromite and are often referred to as industrial minerals. Other examples are i) barite that is used as weighing agent in oil drilling mud and ii) vermiculite, which is used for sound and thermal insulation. The unit value of this class of minerals is low but the purity is high, approaching a chemical grade. The minerals in this class are used directly for industrial applications once they are separated from a gangue content that must be low to start with. The low unit value only allows for marginal treatment costs. With its high quality products such as Jaw crusher?Jaw breaker?Sand washing equipment?Henan Hongxing mining machinery Co.Ltd has ascended in the front rank of the world in the exporting of mining equipments. Raw material mill : http://www.hxjqcrusher.com/crusher/Ore-separating-line.html
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