centrate

Centrate is a term used in various scientific and industrial contexts to refer to a product that has been concentrated or enriched relative to the original mixture. As a noun, centrates are often described as a concentrated material or solution obtained after a separation or concentration process. As a verb, centrating describes the act of making something more concentrated, typically by removing solvent or other diluting components.

In chemistry and chemical engineering, centration and concentration are common operations. Solutions are concentrated by removing solvent through evaporation, distillation, crystallization, or precipitation. The resulting material is frequently called a concentrate, though some texts and practitioners may use centrates as a variant spelling or shorthand. The precise meaning can depend on the process and industry, but the underlying idea is a higher proportion of solute relative to solvent.

In mineral processing and ore dressing, the standard term for the enriched product is typically concentrate rather than centrates. After processes such as crushing, flotation, or separation, the ore portion with a higher content of the target mineral is sent to the concentrate stream. Tailings, in contrast, contain the material that does not report to the concentrate. Some older or regional documents may use centrates, but contemporary practice generally favors concentrate.

In other fields, centrates appear as product designations in food science (for example, protein or fruit concentrates) and analytical chemistry, where the focus is on extracting and concentrating a specific component from a mixture. The term is context-dependent, and its exact definition is guided by the discipline and the specific separation or concentration method used. See also concentrate, tailings, filtrate.