Mineral Processing 9 min read
Types of electromagnetic-radiation sources
Broadband-light sources Although flames and discharges provide a convenient method of excitation, the environment can strongly perturb the sample being studied. Excitation…
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Mineral Processing 5 min read
Emission spectroscopy
Spectroscopy also provides a precise analytical method for finding the constituents in material having unknown chemical composition. In a typical spectroscopic analysis, a concentration of…
Mineral Processing 4 min read
Matte
Matte, crude mixture of molten sulfides formed as an intermediate product of the smelting of sulfide ores of metals, especially copper, nickel, and lead. Instead of…
Mineral Processing 2 min read
Smelting
Smelting, process by which a metal is obtained, either as the element or as a simple compound, from its ore by heating beyond the melting point,…
Mineral Processing 6 min read
Stone Age
Stone Age, prehistoric cultural stage, or level of human development characterized by the creation and use of stone tools. The Stone Age, whose origin…
Mineral Processing 6 min read
Silver
Silver (Ag), chemical element, a white lustrous metal valued for its decorative beauty and electrical conductivity. Silver is located in Group 11 (Ib) and…
Mineral Processing 1 min read
Gold
Gold (Au), chemical element, a dense lustrous yellow precious metal of Group 11 (Ib), Period 6, of the periodic table. Gold has several qualities that…
Mineral Processing 7 min read
Metallurgy
Metallurgy, art and science of extracting metals from their ores and modifying the metals for use. Metallurgy customarily refers to commercial as…
Mineral Processing 6 min read
Mineral deposit
Mineral deposit, aggregate of a mineral in an unusually high concentration. About half of the known chemical elements possess some metallic properties. The term metal, however, is reserved for…
Mineral Processing 6 min read
Gangue
Smelting Perhaps 1,000 years after humans learned about melting virgin copper, they found that still another stone, a brittle one directly…
Mineral Processing 2 min read
Ore
Ore, a natural aggregation of one or more minerals that can be mined, processed, and sold at a profit. An…
Mineral Processing 6 min read
Mining
Mining, process of extracting useful minerals from the surface of the Earth, including the seas. A mineral, with a few exceptions, is an…
