MCQ Detailed View

Ore concentration is an essential step in metallurgy, where the valuable metal-containing minerals are separated from the gangue (impurities). One of the most widely used methods for concentrating ores is froth flotation, particularly for sulfide ores.

In the froth flotation process, the finely powdered ore is mixed with water, pine oil, and a frothing agent. Air is then blown through the mixture. The hydrophobic metal sulfide particles attach to the air bubbles and rise to form a froth at the surface, which is skimmed off. The gangue particles, being hydrophilic, remain in the water and are discarded.

This process is highly effective for ores such as zinc sulfide (ZnS), lead sulfide (PbS), and copper sulfide (Cu₂S). The method increases the concentration of the metal in the ore, making it suitable for further metallurgical processing such as roasting and smelting.

Other options are not correct for concentration:

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  Roasting is used for heating ores in the presence of oxygen to remove volatile impurities, not for concentration.

  
  


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  Electrolysis is a purification or extraction technique, not a concentration method.

  
  


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  Distillation is used for separating liquid mixtures and is not applied in ore concentration.

  
  

Understanding froth flotation is important for students because it demonstrates the application of physical and chemical properties, such as surface chemistry and hydrophobicity, in the efficient separation of metals from ores. It also connects to industrial metallurgy, mining, and environmental chemistry, making it a core concept in inorganic chemistry.