Why are silver-bearing ores usually crushed and ground before flotation?

Silver-bearing ores are crushed and ground prior to flotation primarily to achieve the physical liberation of valuable minerals from waste rock, a process known as comminution.1

Because valuable minerals are often interlocked with waste rock (gangue) within the ore, they must be reduced to a fine powder to separate them effectively. The required fineness of this grinding depends on how the desired minerals are disseminated throughout the ore.1

This preparation is essential for the flotation process, which relies on the surface properties of individual particles. By grinding the ore into fine particles, the minerals can be treated with specific chemicals to make them hydrophobic (water-repellent). These particles then adhere to air bubbles and rise to the surface in a froth, allowing for the efficient separation and concentration of the silver-bearing minerals from the unwanted gangue.23