scorify
Definition
Verb (technical, metallurgy): Scorify means to reduce (an ore or a metallic compound) to scoria or a slag-like mass by heating it with a flux, typically to separate valuable metals from impurities.
Usage Examples
- (To heat the ore with a flux to form a slag.)
- (To reduce the sample to a slag for analysis.)
Advanced Usage
"to scorify a sample": a standard step in fire assay where the sample is fused with lead oxide and a flux.
- The technician scorified the gold-bearing ore to collect the gold in a lead button. (The sample was heated to form slag, leaving a metallic concentrate.)
"scorified residue": the slag-like material left after scorification.
- The scorified residue was discarded after the metals were extracted. (The waste slag was removed.)
Variants and Related Words
Scorification (noun): the process or act of scorifying.
- Scorification is a crucial step in the fire assay of gold and silver. (The process of reducing ore to slag.)
Scorifier (noun): a furnace or vessel used for scorifying.
- The scorifier was heated to a high temperature to melt the flux. (The equipment used for scorification.)
Synonyms
- Slag: to convert into slag (a waste product).
- Fuse: to melt together, often with a flux.
- Smelt: to extract metal from ore by heating.
Related Idioms (none commonly used with this technical term)
This term is primarily technical and does not have idiomatic usage in everyday English.