Refining (metallurgy)

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In metallurgy, refining consists of purifying an impure metal. It is to be distinguished from other processes such as smelting and calcining in that those two involve a chemical change to the raw material, whereas in refining the final material is chemically identical to the raw material. Refining thus increases the purity of the raw material via processing.^{[clarification needed]} There are many processes including pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques.