>The actual response to the claim that most PMs are free because they come from base metal mining is to ask the retard how exactly you separate them from their ores
I love that you think that's an anwer
the PM's are IN THE BASE METAL, so they have to separate them to mine the base metal. The cost is literally paid for by refining the copper, lead, or zinc.
and- holy shit, what will process engineers think of next-
they use the same process to refine copper as they do silver or gold, so it costs exactly the same.