Mineral Processing and Beneficiation is the integrated set of physical, chemical, and metallurgical unit operations applied to run-of-mine ore to extract, concentrate, and refine economically valuable minerals to the required product specification for sale or further processing. The two terms are often used interchangeably or in combination to describe the full spectrum of ore treatment activities from primary crushing at the mine face to the production of a saleable concentrate, metal, or gemstone. The discipline encompasses comminution (primary, secondary, and tertiary crushing; semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) and ball milling), classification (vibrating screens, hydrocyclones), gravity concentration (spirals, jigs, shaking tables, centrifugal concentrators), dense media separation, magnetic and electrostatic separation, froth flotation, hydrometallurgical processes (heap leaching, agitated tank cyanide leaching, solvent extraction-electrowinning or SX-EW), pyrometallurgical smelting, and advanced sorting technologies (X-ray transmission, near-infrared, sensor-based ore sorting). In bauxite processing, beneficiation is followed by the Bayer Process to produce alumina and subsequently Hall-Héroult electrolytic smelting to produce aluminum metal. Iron ore beneficiation produces either direct shipping ore (DSO) or iron concentrate for pelletization. Gold processing plants produce gold doré (an alloy of gold and silver) from cyanide circuits via carbon adsorption (CIL/CIP) followed by electrowinning and smelting. Diamond beneficiation plants recover rough diamonds for sorting, valuation, and sale. Environmental management of water, tailings, and air emissions is an integral component of mineral processing and beneficiation plant design and operation.
