Electronic sorting principles
Sorting can be applied to pre-concentration, in
which barren waste is eliminated to reduce the
tonnage reporting to the downstream concentration
processes, such as in uranium or gold ore sorting,
or to the production of a final product, such as
in limestone or diamond sorting. The ore must be
sufficiently liberated at a coarse size (greater than
5-10mm) to allow barren waste to be discarded
without significant loss of value. Preconcentration by
sorting is seen as a method of improving the sustainability
of mineral processing operations by reducing
the consumption of energy and water in grinding and
concentration, and achieving more benign tailings
disposal