definition
strict definition
smelting
Industrial facilities that extract metals from ores through chemical processes at high temperatures.
Smelting plants are places where raw ores, brought in from a mine, are reduced to the elemental metals in them through a chemical process at high temperatures.
The process separates metal from the ore in which it occurs. Simply melting a supply of already refined metal does not perform the same extraction.
A foundry melts metal and casts it into specified shapes. Smelting and casting can be associated operations, but the ore-extraction purpose distinguishes the smelting plant.
Related definitions
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concrete plant
A facility where quarried aggregates and other ingredients are converted into concrete. -
food processing
Industrial facilities converting edible materials into consumer-ready food products or packaging them. -
foundry
A place where raw metals are poured into molds to produce finished products or parts. -
packaging facility
Industrial space where goods are placed in packages for further distribution. -
wood processing
Industrial facilities turning forestry materials into usable wood products or commodities.