Comminution is by far the largest consumer of energy in a typical mining operation, amounting to as much as 35% of a site's entire energy usage - roughly five times the energy consumed by the flotation/concentration stage of processing. However, gains in flotation energy efficiency and overall recovery performance can also have a beneficial effect on comminution energy costs. For example, if a flotation circuit can be modified or adjusted to efficiently handle coarser particles, the energy cost of grinding ore down to an unneeded fineness often can also be reduced.
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