Metal production and recycling

Producing metals

Metals that are found as ores must be collected, processed and refined before they can be used

1. Mining: minerals are found in bedrock and need to dug out, broken and transported for processing. In cases where mining is difficult, minerals can be leached by pumping solutions to dissolve the wanted minerals

2. Ore processing: the ore collected is not pure. The desired mineral must be separated from the waste rock. This process could involve crushing, grinding, dissolving or filtering

3. Metal extraction: metals in ores have given up their electrons and must have them restored to be converted to their metallic form. We can restore electrons via chemical reactions(smelting) or applying electricity (electrolysis)