Lähdeaines

Lähdeaines is a Finnish term used in geology and mining to denote the portion of an ore body that serves as the primary source of a target element. It is not a mineral species or a specific ore mineral, but a concept used in economic geology to differentiate the productive portion of a deposit from secondary material or waste.

Etymology and scope: The word combines lähde, meaning “source,” with aines, meaning “material” or “ore.” In practice, lähdeaines refers to the part of an ore body that provides the major share of the economically recoverable metal or element from the deposit. The boundaries of this zone are defined by economic cut-off criteria, ore grade, and metallurgical considerations rather than solely by mineralogy.

Occurrence and assessment: The concept applies to various ore deposits where the target element concentrates in distinct lithologies or zones. Assessment involves sampling, grade distribution analysis, metallurgical recoverability, and the potential for beneficiation. The identification of lähdeaines informs mining and processing strategies.

Processing implications: Recognizing the lähdeaines portion guides the mining sequence and processing flowsheets. Practices such as selective mining, pre-concentration, or tailored metallurgical treatments aim to maximize recovery from the lähdeaines while minimizing dilution and operational costs.

Relation to other terms: Lähdeaines is related to ore grade, cut-off grade, beneficiation, and economic geology. It is not a fixed mineralogical unit and may differ between deposits and national mining literature.

See also: Ore genesis, Ore grade, Cut-off grade, Beneficiation. Note: the term is primarily used in Finnish-language sources, and English-language usage varies.