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Which ores require little or no crushing before processing?
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mineral processing
Schematic diagram of a flotation separation cell.
In the context of mineral processing, most ores consist of hard, tough rock masses that require extensive crushing to liberate valuable minerals from waste rock.12
However, ores that occur in nature as mixtures of discrete mineral particlesâsuch as gold found in gravel beds and streams or diamonds in minesârequire little or no crushing. In these cases, the valuable materials can be recovered using alternative techniques, such as breaking up placer material in log washers.1