How is the unusable part of ore processed?

What is the unusable part that remains after ore is mined typically called?

a) Sl_ag

b) Tailings

c) Waste rock

Answer:

The unusable part that remains after ore is mined and processed is typically called Sl_ag.

After ore is mined and processed for the extraction of metals, the unusable part that remains is typically called Sl_ag. This Sl_ag is a byproduct of the preliminary treatment of the ore which involves crushing, grinding, and sometimes chemical treatments to make the ore suitable for metal extraction. This is usually followed by the process of smelting, which involves reducing the metallic compounds to the raw metal and the introduction of compounds that can form a Sl_ag, which can be easily separated from the molten metal due to its low melting point.

The metallurgy of iron, for example, involves roasting the ore to decompose carbonates into oxides and convert sulfides into oxides. These oxides are then reduced in a blast furnace to produce molten iron and Sl_ag, wherein the Sl_ag contains most of the commercially unimportant components of the ore.