tailings
mining
Quick Summary
Tailings are the waste rock and other materials removed during mining and mineral processing. After ore is extracted from the ground, it is sent to concentrating mills. There, it is crushed and ground into fine particles. Processes like flotation are used to separate valuable minerals from the waste rock, known as gangue. The gangue, or tailings, is then discarded. Hydraulic mining can even be used to dislodge minerals from mine tailings.123
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