Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals that can be extracted from the rock at a profit. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined (often via smelting) to extract the valuable element(s).
The grade or concentration of an ore mineral, or metal, as well as its form of occurrence, will directly affect the costs associated with mining the ore. The cost of extraction must thus be weighed against the metal value contained in the rock to determine what ore can be processed and what ore is of too low a grade to be worth mining. Metal ores are generally oxides, sulfides, silicates, or "native" metals (such as native copper) that are not commonly concentrated in a planetary crust, or "noble" metals (not usually forming compounds) such as gold.
The ores must be processed to extract the metals of interest from the waste rock and from the ore minerals. Ore bodies are formed by a variety of geological processes. The process of ore formation is called ore genesis.
Ore refinement
A number of technologies exist for the refinement of mined ores.
- Mass drivers are often used to move large amounts of mined ore from place to place.
- A molecular furnace can be used to break down the physical structure of ores, using them to create new substances.
- A Radioactives Extraction Facility can extract specific radioactive elements from ores.
