What process involves melting ore to remove impurities?

The process that involves melting ore to remove impurities is known as smelting. During smelting, the ore is heated to a temperature high enough to cause the metal to separate from the other extracted materials, allowing for the removal of impurities such as sulfur or silicates. This process is critical in metallurgy as it transforms raw mineral ores into refined metals that can be used in various applications.

Refining, on the other hand, is a broader term that may involve additional steps to purify metals but is not specifically about melting ore. Distillation refers to the process of separating components based on differences in boiling points and is not related to ore processing. Casting is a manufacturing process used to shape metal once it has been melted, but it does not specifically refer to the initial phase of removing impurities from ore. Thus, smelting is the precise term that captures the melting of ore and the purification of the desired metal.