The classification and use of ores are very wide. We classify them based on many factors such as the chemical composition, physical properties and industrial applications of minerals. The following are the types of metal ores and non-metallic ores that can be roughly sorted. Metal ore Metal ores are ores containing metal elements or metal compounds, and are mainly used to extract metals. Depending on the metals they contain, metal ores can be subdivided into the following categories: 1. Precious metal ores: such as gold, silver, platinum group metal ores, etc., are mainly used in the manufacture of jewelry, currency reserves and some high-tech products. 2. Non-ferrous metal ores: including copper, lead, zinc, aluminum, etc., which are widely used in wires and cables, building materials, automobile manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, electronic products and other fields. 3. Ferrous metal ores: such as iron ore, manganese ore, and chromium ore, which are mainly used in the production of steel and other alloys. 4. Rare metal ores: such as tantalum, niobium, lithium, etc., are crucial to high-tech industries such as electronics, aerospace, and new energy vehicles. 5. Radioactive ores: such as uranium ore and thorium ore, which are mainly used in nuclear power generation and medical fields. After mining, crushing, beneficiation and refining, these ores can be refined into metals, which are processed into various products and widely used in various industries such as construction, machinery manufacturing, electronics, transportation, aerospace, etc. Non-metallic ores Non-metallic ores contain no or almost no metal elements. They either provide industrial raw materials or are used as decorative and building materials. 1. Chemical raw material ores: such as phosphate rock, potash, limestone, etc., used in the manufacture of fertilizers and chemical products. 2. Gemstones and decorative stones: such as diamonds, rubies, jade, marble, granite, etc., used in jewelry and architectural decoration. 3. Building material ores: such as gypsum, quartz sand, and limestone, used in cement, glass manufacturing and the construction industry. 4. Ceramic and refractory ores: such as kaolin and clay, used to make ceramic utensils and high-temperature resistant materials. 5. Energy minerals: such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Although they do not strictly belong to the traditional mineral classification, they are also important natural resources and are mainly used for energy supply. In addition to being used as a building material, it is also used to manufacture chemicals, medicines, cosmetics, ceramic products, glass products, etc. It is also widely used in agriculture, environmental protection and high-tech industries. In summary, ores are various and have a wide range of uses. From metal ores to non-metallic ores, from energy ores to construction ores and chemical raw material ores, they all play an important role in their respective fields. The mining and utilization of ores is one of the foundations of modern industrial society. However, the mining process needs to consider environmental protection and sustainable development. With the advancement of science and technology and the development of industry, human demand for ores will continue to increase, and the mining and utilization of ores will become more efficient and environmentally friendly. In order to make full use of various metal and non-metallic ore resources, suitable mineral processing technology is selected for separation in combination with the physical and chemical characteristics of the ore. At present, the common mineral processing methods are mainly the following: Flotation: It is a method of separation by treating the physical and chemical properties of the ore surface to make the minerals selectively attach to bubbles. In the process of mineral processing, especially in the treatment of non-ferrous metal ores (such as copper, lead, zinc, sulfur, molybdenum, etc.), flotation is widely used. In addition, some ferrous metals, rare metals and non-metallic ores (such as graphite ore, apatite, etc.) can also be treated by flotation. Gravity separation: It is a method of separation based on the relative density (also called specific gravity) of minerals. By applying fluid dynamics and various mechanical forces in a moving medium (such as water or air), the concentrators of different densities can create suitable loose stratification and separation conditions, thereby achieving the separation of mineral particles of different densities. Magnetic separation: It is a method of separating ores by using the magnetic difference of minerals to generate different forces in the magnetic field of the magnetic separator. It is mainly used for the separation of ferrous metal ores (such as iron, manganese, and chromium), and can also be used for the separation of non-ferrous metal and rare metal ores. Electrostatic separation: It is a separation method based on the difference in the electrical conductivity of minerals. By placing the minerals in a high-voltage electric field, the electrostatic force acts differently due to the different electrical conductivity of the minerals, thereby achieving the separation of minerals. This method is mainly used for the separation of rare metals, non-ferrous metals and non-metallic ores, especially in the separation of sub-mixed coarse concentrates, such as scheelite and cassiterite, zircon, tantalite and niobium ore. Chemical beneficiation: It is a beneficiation technology that uses chemical methods to change the mineral composition and then enriches the target components through other methods. For example, copper ore containing malachite can be leached with dilute sulfuric acid to convert malachite into copper sulfate solution. By replacing the copper ions in the solution with iron filings, metallic copper (sponge copper) can be obtained. Chemical beneficiation is one of the effective methods for processing and comprehensively utilizing some poor, fine, and impure mineral raw materials that are difficult to be selected. It is also one of the important ways to make full use of mineral resources, solve the problems of wastewater, waste residue, and waste gas treatment, realize waste recycling, and protect the environment. Microbial beneficiation: also known as bacterial beneficiation, is a beneficiation method that uses microorganisms such as iron-oxidizing bacteria, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and silicate bacteria to remove iron, sulfur, silicon and other elements from ores. By using iron-oxidizing bacteria to oxidize iron, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to oxidize sulfur, and silicate bacteria to decompose silicon in bauxite, the purpose of desulfurization, iron removal and silicon removal can be achieved. In addition, microbial beneficiation can also be used to recover metals such as copper, uranium, cobalt, manganese, and gold. https://www.mdoresorting.com/mingde-ai-sorting-machine-separate-phosphorite-ore Photoelectric beneficiation: It is a beneficiation method that uses the physical characteristics of the ore to be beneficiated and the gangue to identify and sort. It uses a combination of machinery and electricity to separate minerals by imitating the action of hand selection. It uses the differences in the reflection and transmittance of light of different minerals, such as color, texture, shape, gloss, spots, density and other characteristic differences for identification and sorting. The ore is mainly separated after passing through the feeding system, photoelectric system, electric control system and sorting system. As a leader in the photoelectric mineral processing industry, Mingde Optoelectronics has launched a series of equipment, involving five series and more than 20 types of equipment, mainly artificial intelligence sorting machines, ore color sorting machines, mineral sand sorting machines, X-ray intelligent sorting machines, foreign body removal robots and other products. At present, it is widely used in metal and non-metallic minerals such as quartz, potassium feldspar, calcite, calcium carbonate, dolomite, fluorite, talc, wollastonite, bauxite, pegmatite quartz, limestone, calcium oxide, sponge titanium, silicon slag, gold mine, pebbles, phosphate rock, silica, brucite, tungsten tailings, coal gangue, coal-bearing kaolin, etc.!

A. Phosphate Ore Overview Phosphate rock refers to the general term for phosphate minerals that can be used economically. It is an important chemical mineral raw material. It can be used to make phosphate fertilizer, yellow phosphorus, phosphoric acid, phosphide and other phosphates. These products are widely used in agriculture, medicine, food, matches, dyes, sugar, ceramics, national defense and other industrial sectors. Phosphate minerals can be divided into three types according to their mineralization origin: sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks and igneous rocks. At present, about 85% of industrially mined phosphate is marine sedimentary phosphate, and the rest is mainly igneous phosphate. It can also be divided into two types: apatite and phosphorite. Apatite refers to the phosphate ore in which phosphorus appears in the form of crystalline apatite in igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks, while phosphorite is an accumulation formed by exogenous action, composed of crypto crystalline or micro-crypto crystalline apatite and other gangue minerals. B. Distribution and development of phosphate resources Globally, phosphate resources are mainly distributed in Africa, North America, South America, Asia and the Middle East, of which more than 80% are concentrated in Morocco and Western Sahara, South Africa, the United States, China, Jordan and Russia. China is a country with rich reserves of phosphate resources, ranking second in the world, second only to Morocco and Western Sahara. C. The main uses of phosphate rock Phosphate rock is an important chemical mineral raw material with a wide range of uses, mainly including the following aspects: 1. Phosphate fertilizer production: About 84% to 90% of the world's phosphate rock is used to produce various phosphate fertilizers, which are essential nutrients for plant growth and play a key role in increasing crop yields. 2. Production of yellow phosphorus and phosphoric acid: Some phosphate rocks are used to produce pure phosphorus (yellow phosphorus) and chemical raw materials. Yellow phosphorus can be used to make pesticides, incendiary bombs, tracer bombs, signal bombs, smoke bombs, ignition agents, etc. Phosphides of phosphorus, boron, indium, and gallium are used in the semiconductor industry. 3. Production of other phosphates: used in the metallurgical industry to refine phosphor bronze, phosphorus-containing pig iron, cast iron, etc. Zirconium phosphate, titanium phosphate, silicon phosphate, etc. can be used as coatings, pigments, adhesives, ion exchangers, adsorbents, etc. Sodium phosphate and disodium hydrogen phosphate are used to purify boiler water, and the latter can also be used to make artificial silk. Sodium hexametaphosphate can be used as a water softener and metal preservative, calcium phosphate salts are used as animal feed additives, and phosphorus derivatives are used in medicine. 4. Other applications: With the widespread use of lithium batteries, the demand for phosphate ore is gradually increasing. Fluorapatite crystal is the most ideal laser emission material, and phosphate glass lasers have been used. 5. Comprehensive utilization: Phosphate ore is often accompanied by uranium, lithium, beryllium, cerium, lanthanum, strontium, gallium, vanadium, titanium, iron ore, etc. Most of them are rare substances urgently needed for the development of cutting-edge industries and can be comprehensively recycled. D. Phosphate mining methods There are two main methods of phosphate mining: open-pit mining and underground mining: Open pit mining Open pit mining is suitable for situations where the ore deposit is shallow, the overburden is thin, and the ore grade is high. This method usually includes the following steps: 1. Surface Clearing: Clearing the surface of the mining area to remove debris and vegetation. 2. Explosive crushing: using blasting technology to break the ore into smaller particles. 3. Excavation and transportation: Use excavators to dig out the crushed ore and transport it to the ore processing plant by transport vehicles. 4. Ore processing: The excavated ore is crushed, screened, washed and processed to obtain ore products that meet the requirements. Underground mining Underground mining is suitable for situations where phosphate deposits are buried deep and the ore distribution is relatively uneven. Compared with open-pit mining, underground mining requires more underground engineering construction, but its mining effect is more stable and the utilization rate of ore resources is higher. The specific steps include: 1. Construction of shafts and tunnels: digging shafts and tunnels underground for the transportation of ore and the entry and exit of personnel. 2. Ore body detection: Detect the occurrence of ore bodies through drilling, geological exploration and other methods to determine the mining plan.Ore body detection: Detect the occurrence of ore bodies through drilling, geological exploration and other methods to determine the mining plan. 3. Ore mining: Explosion, tunneling and other methods are used to extract ore from underground. 4. Ore processing: Similar to open-pit mining, the excavated ore is crushed, screened, washed, and processed to obtain ore products that meet the requirements. E. Phosphate rock processing methods The processing of phosphate rock mainly includes the following steps: 1. Crushing: Crushing the raw ore to a particle size suitable for further processing. 2. Grinding: Grind the crushed ore to make it finer and increase the surface area for subsequent mineral processing. 3. Sorting: Use manual or machine methods to separate the crushed ore into good ore and impurities according to the surface characteristics of the ore. 4. Flotation: The ground ore is placed in a flotation tank together with a flotation agent. The ore and the flotation agent are adsorbed by bubbles, thereby separating the ore from impurities. 5. Desliming: Desliming the ore after flotation to remove the mud and impurities generated during the flotation process. 6. Concentrate treatment: The desludged ore is concentrated to improve the grade of the ore. 7. Tailings treatment: The tailings after concentrate treatment are treated to recover useful minerals or to carry out environmentally friendly treatment. In the process of phosphate rock processing, key technologies include: Equipment selection: In the process of phosphate ore beneficiation, commonly used equipment includes jaw crusher, ball mill, sorting machine, flotation machine, spiral chute, etc. The selection of these equipment needs to consider factors such as the nature of the ore, processing capacity, and energy consumption. F. Impact of phosphate rock processing on the environment and mitigation measures The phosphate rock processing process may cause certain impacts on the environment, including water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution and ecological damage. In order to mitigate these impacts, the following measures can be taken: 1. Establish environmental protection departments and systems: ensure that the phosphate rock processing process complies with environmental protection standards and prevents pollutant emissions. 2. Implement technological transformation and construction of new facilities: adopt advanced processing technologies and equipment to reduce the generation of pollutants. 3. Strengthen safety monitoring and forecasting: monitor environmental changes during the processing process and take timely measures to address potential risks. 4. Increase investment in environmental protection: Invest in environmental protection projects to improve environmental conditions during the treatment process. 5. Reduce pollution sources: optimize treatment processes to reduce the generation of pollutants. 6. Wastewater treatment: Treat the wastewater generated during the treatment process to ensure that the water quality meets the standards before discharge. 7. Solid waste treatment: Properly handle the solid waste generated during the treatment process to avoid pollution to the environment. 8. Green mining concept and construction of demonstration bases: Promote the concept of green mining, build demonstration bases, and demonstrate environmentally friendly and efficient phosphate rock processing technology. 9. Groundwater ecological environment protection and restoration management: protect groundwater resources, repair polluted groundwater, and restore ecological balance. In recent years, phosphate rock processing technology has been continuously innovating, and some new processing methods have emerged, such as photoelectric separation, microbial treatment, dry electrostatic separation, magnetic cover method and selective flocculation process, etc. The application of these new technologies helps to improve the processing efficiency and resource utilization of phosphate rock, while reducing the impact on the environment. https://www.mdoresorting.com/mingde-ai-sorting-machine-separate-quartzmicafeldspar-from-pegmatite As a leading optoelectronic sorting company in China, MINGDE Optoelectronics has launched an artificial intelligence sorting machine that can accurately sort minerals based on their texture, gloss, shape, color and other surface features. This can effectively improve the comprehensive utilization of ores and reduce sorting costs. It is simple to operate and efficient. The only consumption in the mineral processing process is electricity, which is fully in line with the current society's requirements for green environmental protection. G. Summary Phosphate plays an indispensable role in agriculture and industry. With the increase of population and the acceleration of industrialization, the demand for phosphate is expected to continue to grow. In the future, the development and utilization of phosphate will pay more attention to the sustainability of resources and environmental protection. At the same time, with the advancement of technology, the mining and processing efficiency of phosphate is expected to improve, and the comprehensive utilization of resources and circular economy will become an important direction of development. Therefore, the requirements for technological innovation are becoming more and more important. MINGDE has always believed that only through continuous hard research and full communication with people from all walks of life in the mining industry, MINGDE will definitely bring better choices to the ore sorting industry.

Brucite, also known as magnesia, is a hydroxide ore. Its main component is magnesium hydroxide. It is one of the minerals with the highest magnesium content in nature.Brucite is a rare and precious magnesium-rich non-metallic mineral. It belongs to the trigonal crystal system and has a variety of appearances. It is usually flaky or fibrous aggregates. It is white, light green or colorless in color. It has a glassy luster on the fracture, a pearly luster on the dissociation surface, a silky luster on the fibrous one, a flexible thin sheet, and a brittle fibrous one. Brucite is a layered hydroxide that is widely distributed in nature and is widely distributed. It is mainly distributed in countries and regions such as China, Canada, and the United States. In addition, brucite mines are also distributed in Russia, North Korea, Norway and other countries. Canada and the United States are among the world's major producers of brucite. Canada's brucite is mainly distributed in Ontario, Quebec and other places, while the United States' brucite resources are mainly distributed in Nevada, Texas and other places. China's brucite resources are mainly distributed in the western region, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan and other provinces and cities according to sedimentary strata. In addition, some brucite resources are also distributed in Northeast China, North China, Central China and other regions. Specifically, the total proven reserves of brucite resources in China have exceeded 25 million tons, among which Fengcheng, Liaoning, Ji'an, Jilin, Ningqiang, Shaanxi, Qilian Mountains, Qinghai, Shimian, Sichuan, Xixia, Henan and other places are important brucite production areas. In particular, Fengcheng, Liaoning, has the richest brucite resources in China, with reserves of up to 10 million tons. The proven reserves of brucite in Ningqiang, Shaanxi are 7.8 million tons; the proven reserves of brucite in Ji'an, Jilin are 2 million tons. Judging from the ore quality, scale and mining conditions of brucite, Liaoning Province has the best brucite resources in China. The brucite ore in Kuandian is close to the theoretical mass of brucite (%): MgO 66.44, H2O 29.00, SiO2 0.80, Al2O3 0.21, Fe2O3 0.73. Brucite has a variety of uses and applications, from industrial processes to environmental and technical applications. The following are some of the main uses of brucite: (1)  Extraction of magnesium and magnesium oxide The magnesium oxide content in brucite ore is high and has few impurities; the decomposition temperature is low; the volatile matter produced when heated is non-toxic and harmless, so magnesium and magnesium oxide and other products can be extracted from brucite. (2) Dead-burned magnesia Dead-burned magnesia made from brucite has the advantages of high density (greater than 3.55g/cm3), high refractoriness (greater than 2800℃), high chemical inertness and high thermal shock stability. It is widely used in the production of key parts such as furnace linings and furnace bottoms, especially in the steel and non-ferrous metal smelting industries. (3) Light magnesium oxide Light magnesium oxide is extracted from low-grade brucite rock by chemical methods. (4) Fused periclase It is a special pure product required by high-tech electronic products. The periclase aggregate refined by brucite by electric fusion has high thermal conductivity and good electrical insulation, and the product life is increased by 2~3 times. (5) Chemically pure magnesium reagent Mainly use the electric heating method to extract metallic magnesium and prepare chemically pure reagents such as MgCl2, MgSO4, and Mg(NO3)2. At the same time, it can be used to make high corrosion resistance agents and is widely used in the electroplating industry. (6) Reinforcement materials Bruceite can be used as a substitute for chrysotile in some fields, and is used in mid-range thermal insulation materials such as microporous calcium silicate and calcium silicate board. The basic formula is: diatomaceous earth, lime slurry, water glass, bruceite. The content of bruceite is 8%~10%. The product has high whiteness, beautiful appearance and low bulk density. At the same time, due to the repeatability, corrosion resistance, high hardness and good mechanical strength of brucite, it can be used as an additive to improve the strength and hardness of cement and enhance the durability of concrete. In addition, brucite can also slow down the gel phase generation rate of concrete, thereby delaying the degradation process of the structure. (7) Papermaking filler Brucite has high whiteness, good flaking, strong adhesion and poor water absorption. Using it in combination with calcite as a papermaking filler can change the papermaking process from acid method to alkali method and reduce the pollution of slurry water. (8) Flame retardant As a fibrous variant of brucite, fibrous brucite contains about 30% of crystal water and has a low decomposition temperature (450℃, static about 350℃). It is widely used in flame retardant products with its good heat resistance and flame retardancy. (9) Environmental protection application Due to its composition characteristics, brucite presents moderate alkalinity and can be used as an acidic wastewater neutralizer. It is used to purify acidic substances in wastewater and waste gas, effectively reduce pollutants such as acid rain and acidic waste gas, and thus protect the environment. In the process of neutralizing acidic substances, brucite also has a certain buffering capacity. (10) Water treatment Brucite also plays an important role in the field of water treatment. It can be used to remove hardness ions in water, prevent the formation of scale, and protect water treatment equipment. In addition, brucite can also be used for deoxygenation, adjusting the pH value of water and buffering water quality, thereby improving and optimizing water quality. In general, brucite has a wide range of uses, covering many fields such as construction, metal smelting, chemistry, water treatment, medicine, environmental protection and food industry. In order to improve the utilization value of brucite, we generally use brucite of different grades. Generally speaking, brucite is used as a raw material for magnesium salts, basic magnesium salts, magnesium oxide and other products, and the grade of brucite is relatively high. In some specific applications, such as making refractory materials and flame retardants, the grade requirements for brucite may be relatively low. In order to improve the grade of brucite, we can use crushing, dissociation and sorting to sort out the associated minerals in brucite to achieve the purpose of improving the grade of brucite. Common associated minerals in brucite are mainly serpentine, calcite, dolomite, magnesite, magnesium silicate minerals, periclase, diopside and talc. Specifically, serpentine in the associated mineral is a hydrated magnesium silicate mineral, usually yellow-green or dark green, with a glassy or silky luster. Calcite is a calcium carbonate mineral with a glassy luster and low hardness. Dolomite is a carbonate mineral, similar to calcite, but with a higher magnesium content in its chemical composition. Magnesite is a magnesium carbonate mineral with a glassy luster and low hardness. By taking advantage of the surface feature differences between its associated minerals and brucite, we use photoelectric sorting equipment for sorting, which can effectively remove most of the dissociated associated minerals, improve the grade of brucite ore, and create higher economic value for mining companies. For some brucite mining companies, after long-term mining, there is no good sorting method in the particle ore stage, resulting in about 30~40% of the concentrate with a grade of more than 60 in the tailings pond. With the development of artificial intelligence and photoelectric mineral processing technology in recent years, the technical level and equipment maturity have been widely recognized by the market and applied in the sorting of brucite tailings. In particular, Mingde Optoelectronics' artificial intelligence sorting equipment can accurately identify associated minerals such as brucite, serpentine, and dolomite, and sort them by taking pictures, training, learning, and modeling the ore to be selected. MINGDE Optoelectronics is an enterprise focusing on ore sorting technology. The artificial intelligence sorting machine developed by it is applied to the sorting process of brucite. The equipment uses advanced image recognition technology and artificial intelligence algorithms to efficiently and accurately grade the quality of brucite, remove impurities, and improve the quality of the original ore. In summary, MINGDE Optoelectronics' artificial intelligence sorting machine plays a key role in the sorting of brucite. It optimizes the traditional mineral processing process through intelligent technology, improves the sorting accuracy and efficiency, and contributes to the sustainable use of resources.