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Why are molybdenum ores crushed and ground before concentration?
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Molybdenum ores are crushed and groundāa process known as comminutionāto physically liberate the valuable metallic minerals from the waste rock, or gangue, with which they are interlocked.12
Because the desired minerals are often finely disseminated within the ore, this process reduces the material to a powder. This liberation is a necessary prerequisite for flotation processes, which rely on the physical separation of the molybdenum-bearing minerals from the surrounding waste material to produce a concentrated product.12