Mineral recovery refers to the proportion of valuable mineral or metal content that is successfully extracted from ore during mining and processing, expressed as a percentage of the total content originally present in the mined material. It is one of the most critical performance indicators in any mining operation because it directly links the geological resource to the saleable product, and ultimately to project revenue. Recovery is influenced by ore mineralogy, degree of mineral liberation, particle size distribution, the chosen beneficiation method, and the efficiency of the processing plant. In gold mining, recovery is typically reported for cyanidation, carbon-in-leach (CIL), or carbon-in-pulp (CIP) circuits, where free-milling ores can achieve recoveries above 90 percent while refractory ores require pre-treatment. In iron ore operations, recovery relates to the mass and iron yield achieved through crushing, screening, and beneficiation such as dense media separation or magnetic separation. Bauxite recovery is assessed through the Bayer process digestion efficiency, while diamond recovery depends on dense media separation and X-ray or optical sorting efficiency, since diamonds cannot be upgraded chemically. Recovery rates are continually monitored and reconciled against geological models to validate resource estimates and improve operational efficiency.
