Task: A Matter of Concentration Coming up at the end of this section.

3.4 Concentration of Copper Ore

		Concentrating the ore consists of separating valuable minerals from worthless minerals. This first stage in processing is usually done on the mine site. It is based on the physical and chemical properties of minerals.
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3.4.1 Gangue

The ore extracted from the mine contains valuable minerals which are usually associated with worthless minerals called "waste rock" or "gangue."

		Copper ore (yellow) in its gangue (black).
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To concentrate the ore, the gangue must be separated from the valuable minerals.

At an early stage in the development of the mine, ore samples are extracted and various concentration methods are tested by metallurgical engineers.

The goal is to recover the maximum amount of ore, as efficiently, cleanly and cost effectively as possible.

There are a number of ways to separate the gangue from the ore. The stages involved in concentrating copper are described below. In reality, this is done in a plant called a "concentrator."