The paper analyzes existing methods for optimizing the depth of beneficiation of multicomponent and polymetallic ores, highlighting their advantages and limitations. It shows that beneficiation depth optimization can be treated as a mathematical optimization problem involving multiple interdependent variables, making it suitable for short-term operational control of concentrate quality.

For long-term decisions, the optimal strategy for integrated mineral resource utilization should be defined using a dynamic, investment-based approach that compares alternative options using an economic–mathematical model based on cash flow analysis.

Modern ore beneficiation methods and equipment make it possible to produce concentrates with varying contents of the main and associated components. Changes in concentrate quality have a significant impact on the economics of final product manufacturing, as they are accompanied by variations in costs and recoveries at both the beneficiation stage and the chemical–metallurgical processing stage.

In this context, the task of determining the economically most efficient concentrate quality becomes particularly important. Many researchers refer to this task as defining the optimal depth of ore beneficiation.

Optimization of the beneficiation depth for multicomponent ores represents a typical problem of selecting the most efficient option for the utilization of complex raw materials and therefore warrants special consideration.

Methodological issues related to concentrate quality optimization have been addressed in the literature mainly with respect to single-component ores, whereas the specific features of solving this problem under conditions of complex ore processing remain insufficiently studied. In practice, the selection of a rational concentrate quality level during beneficiation is often based either solely on the researcher’s intuition or on extrapolation from the currently achieved performance level.