A method of processing material includes positioning a transmitter to engage an ore sample with a sub-millisecond electromagnetic pulse, the ore sample including a conductive mineral particle and a volume of a gangue, specifying a characteristic of the electromagnetic pulse based on a desired energy deposition for the conductive mineral particle using a processing circuit, and selectively depositing energy with the electromagnetic pulse to at least one of melt and vaporize the conductive mineral particle by controlling the transmitter with the processing circuit.