Sensor-based Sorting of Metalliferous Ores - an Overview

Although sensor-based sorting has experienced an upswing in the past decade in the separation of secondary raw materials where it is firmly established, applications in ore sorting are still quite rare. Sensor-based systems, especially optical sorters, are more common in processing of industrial minerals, for example for the processing of limestone/marble, feldspar, quartz, talc, etc. Around two years ago, optical sorters were introduced for sorting platinum bearing chromitite ores in South Africa, as well as metal detector based sorters for the concentration of nickel sulphide ores in Australia.