Summary：In general, mineral processing refers to the practice of processing ores and minerals in order to se…

In general, mineral processing refers to the practice of processing ores and minerals in order to separate valuable minerals from waste materials. Generally, in mineral processing, minerals are recovered from their ores using several operations, including comminution, sizing, concentration and dewatering. The term “mineral processing” can be applied to a wide array of industries, such as gold, coal, nickel, aluminum, bauxite, oil sands, phosphate, potash, copper, iron ore and many more.

Mineral processing is a broad term that includes a number of different processes and is, as a whole, one of the most important aspects of the overall mining operation. Most mined materials, from hard-rock ores to solid-fuel minerals such as coal, oil shale and industrial minerals, are subjected to some sort of size reduction and/or other beneficiation process. Often several mineral processing operations are performed in sequence to produce a marketable product.