Treating Base Metal Ores

Base metal ores go through a more complex treatment process than gold to reach their ultimate commercial form. Because most base metal ores contain metallic sulphide minerals, the greatest challenge is separating the sulphur from the metal and then ensuring the sulphur is contained in some manner so that it can’t damage the surrounding environment.

Unlike gold, base metals are not usually produced in a near-pure form at the mine site. This is because most mines aren’t sufficiently large nor well situated to warrant the construction at the mine site of all of the plants (mills, smelters, refineries, etc.) needed to convert the metal ore into pure metal.

Instead, each base metal mine attempts to remove locally as much of the waste rock as possible from its ore and ship the enriched product, or concentrate, to a strategically situated smelter.

Crushing and grinding in a concentrator are practiced in the same manner as in a cyanide mill, and for the same purpose — i.e., to liberate the valuable minerals from the surrounding worthless rock.

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