Particle recovery refers to the proportion of valuable mineral particles successfully extracted from the ore matrix and captured in a saleable concentrate or product stream, relative to the total amount originally present in the feed. In bauxite mining, particle recovery relates to the efficient capture of gibbsite and boehmite particles during washing and classification, minimizing losses of alumina-bearing fines to tailings. In gold mining, particle recovery is a critical metallurgical metric describing what fraction of contained gold, whether free-milling or refractory, is captured through gravity, flotation, or leaching circuits, with recovery rates directly determining project economics. In iron ore processing, particle recovery describes the efficiency of magnetic separation, gravity concentration, or flotation in capturing hematite or magnetite particles while rejecting silica and other gangue minerals. In diamond mining, particle recovery is especially critical given the high unit value of individual stones, and even small losses of larger diamonds can significantly affect revenue, making recovery system design and monitoring paramount. Recovery is typically expressed as a percentage and calculated through mass balance techniques comparing feed grade, concentrate grade, and tailings grade. Maximizing particle recovery while maintaining acceptable concentrate quality is a central objective of plant design and ongoing metallurgical optimization across all these commodities.
