Beneficiation of aggregates

Beneficiation or improving the quality of aggregates employs mineral separation processes that exploit the differences between physical or chemical properties of the mineral particles, for example density, magnetic susceptibility, colour, surface chemistry, solubility. When considering any given mineral separation process recognition must also be given to the range of particles sizes that may be treated which is often limited. For aggregate minerals that command a rela- tively low price it is likely that only simple physical separation processes of high capacity can be applied and then only rarely. Processes that are only applicable to fine particles or consume power or chemical reagents are very unlikely to be economically justified.