Thirsty work/Drying industrial minerals

摘要

Mineral processing began with the extraction of various mineral deposits found on or under the surface of the earth. Chemical processes are believed to have originated prior to 7,000 B.C. with the extraction of substances from plants as the raw material. Even earlier, salt was recovered and refined which, together with clays, pigments, chalks and allied minerals, marked the commencement of non-metallic mineral beneficiation. To use these substances effectively, they generally had to have their moisture content reduced either prior to or post-processing. This practice, presumably achieved using solar energy, was the birth of mineral drying.