1 / 8

How metals are recovered from rock

How metals are recovered from rock. Image: G. Plumlee, USGS. Metals-3-1. Mining removes metal-bearing rock from the Earth’s crust. Image: ASARCO, Inc. Metals-3-2. Crushed metal-bearing rock is ready to be processed to remove the contained metals. Image: Kennecott Utah Copper Co. Metals-3-3.

miles
Download Presentation

How metals are recovered from rock

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. How metals are recovered from rock Image: G. Plumlee, USGS Metals-3-1

  2. Mining removes metal-bearing rock from the Earth’s crust. Image: ASARCO, Inc. Metals-3-2

  3. Crushed metal-bearing rock is ready to be processed to remove the contained metals. Image: Kennecott Utah Copper Co. Metals-3-3

  4. Facilities called mills grind crushed metal-bearing rock to small particles composed of individual mineral grains. Image: ASARCO, Inc. Metals-3-4

  5. After grinding, metal-bearing minerals are separated from other mineral particles by attaching them to soapy bubbles that float to the surface of agitated vats. Images: ASARCO, Inc. Metals-3-5

  6. In some rocks, metals can be separated by percolating solutions through them that dissolve the contained metals (leaching). Gold is commonly recovered this way. Metals-3-6

  7. Facilities called smelters melt metal-bearing minerals in ways that separate the metals from impurities. Image: Martin Miller Metals-3-7

  8. The molten metal recovered at smelters is poured into molds and allowed to solidify. This metal is then ready for refining and fabrication into things we need. Image: Martin Miller Metals-3-8

More Related