Bridging the gap: Understanding the economic impact of ore sorting on a mineral processing circuit

A major barrier to widespread implementation is a knowledge gap: sorting equipment manufacturers have made modest footholds in the mining industry, while miners and plant operators are largely unaware of recent developments and the state-of-the-art technology. Most importantly, a widespread understanding of how ore sorters can be implemented and their significant economic impacts is lacking. This work will examine the economic impact of ore sorting by studying the capital and operating costs associated with implementing ore sorters in an existing semi-autogenous (SAG) milling circuit at a copper mine.