Beneficiation is any process which removes the gangue minerals from ore to produce a higher grade product, and a waste stream. Beneficiation may involve physical or chemical processes. Often, as in th...Beneficiation is any process which removes the gangue minerals from ore to produce a higher grade product, and a waste stream. Beneficiation may involve physical or chemical processes. Often, as in the case of panning for gold, the desired ore or metal is denser than the gangue. The latter can be suspended in a stream of water and flushed away.
The processing of ores may be divided into three steps. (1) Concentration to remove worthless material (gangue) or to convert the mineral into an appropriate form for subsequent processing. (2) The mo...The processing of ores may be divided into three steps. (1) Concentration to remove worthless material (gangue) or to convert the mineral into an appropriate form for subsequent processing. (2) The most-important step is reduction of the metal from a positive oxidation state. This may involve elevated temperatures, chemical reducing agents, electrolysis, or some combination of these treatments. (3) Refining is required to achieve the purity desired in the final product.
