Flotation is primarily used for what purpose in metal processing?

Flotation is a method primarily used in metal processing to separate valuable minerals from the surrounding material, often referred to as gangue. This technique utilizes bubbles to selectively attach to certain minerals, which then float to the surface as a froth. The froth can be skimmed off, effectively concentrating the desired metals while leaving the undesired materials behind.

The process is particularly valuable in the mining industry for the extraction of ores that may contain small percentages of metal. By being able to separate metals using bubbles in a liquid medium, flotation enhances the efficiency of recovery and helps maximize the yield of the desirable metal resources. This technique is essential in recovering metals like copper, Lead, and zinc from their ores.

In contrast, compressing metal into sheets relates to processes such as rolling or forging. Separating metals using magnetic fields pertains to magnetic separation methods, which work well for specific types of materials but are not the primary application for flotation. Casting metals into molds describes another manufacturing process where liquefied metal is poured into a shape, unrelated to the separation of minerals and metals.