Mining Ore Sorting | AISORT
Application Overview — Mining & Minerals
Mining Ore Sorting in Modern Recycling Facilities
Sensor-based ore sorting (SBOS) is transforming mineral processing by enabling pre-concentration of valuable ore before energy-intensive grinding. By removing barren gangue early in the process, ore sorting can reduce grinding energy by 20-40%, increase head grade to the mill, and make low-grade deposits economically viable. The technology is deployed across gold, copper, iron ore, lithium, diamond, and industrial mineral operations.
Material Characteristics and Sorting Challenges
Ore sorting challenges: throughput requirements are massive (100-1,000+ t/h for large mining operations); the operating environment is harsh (dust, vibration, temperature extremes, 24/7 operation); detection must work on rough, unwashed rock surfaces; and the cost of misclassification is high — losing valuable ore to the waste stream directly reduces revenue, while sending waste to the mill increases processing cost per ounce/tonne of recovered metal.
Recommended Sorting Technology Stack
XRT (density-based: sulfide ore vs silicate gangue) + NIR/SWIR (mineral identification by spectral signature: copper oxides, iron oxides, clay minerals) + laser-induced fluorescence (diamond detection) + radiometric (uranium). Multi-sensor fusion improves recovery by cross-validating sensor outputs. Belt-based systems with robust construction for mining environment.
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Ore Recovery | >95% |
| Waste Rejection | 30-70% of feed |
| Throughput | 50-500+ t/h |
| Particle Size | 10-300mm |
These benchmarks represent achievable performance with modern sensor-based sorting equipment, assuming properly sized, well-maintained equipment operating on representative feedstock. Actual results depend on specific material composition, throughput, and operating conditions.