The mineral processing process typically consists of ore preparation, beneficiation, and dewatering.
(1) Preparatory work includes ore crushing and screening, grinding and classification; these operations are collectively referred to as crushing. Their purpose is to liberate the valuable minerals and gangue minerals (or different valuable minerals) in the ore, or to ensure the particle size of the material meets the requirements of the beneficiation operation.
(2) Beneficiation, including one or more beneficiation methods, is the process of separating the liberated valuable minerals from the gangue minerals (or different valuable minerals).
(3) Dewatering includes concentrate concentration, filtration, and drying; the purpose is to remove moisture from the concentrate for storage, transportation, and sale.