The mineral processing industry is increasingly focused on sustainable development. One aspect of this is finding ways to process minerals with a lower environmental footprint. The use of mobile optical sorting plants can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of mineral processing facilities.

Every mining operation is different, but almost all mines extract ore that contains a mix of valuable minerals and worthless rock.

Optical sorting is a process that uses sensors and software to identify different minerals based on their physical properties, such as colour, shape, size, or even transparency. This information is then used to sort the minerals into groups to be more easily processed.

The benefits of optical sorting technology for mineral treatment

Utilising the optical sorting technology can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of mineral processing facilities. This technology sorts minerals using light instead of water, eliminating runoff and conserving water usage.

In addition, it decreases energy consumption because there is no need to heat water, nor is there any wastewater discharge associated with this process as there traditionally had been.

Discover more about our solutions for the treatment of raw materials in the major industries.