Quite while ago I was looking at the volume of one batch of ore to refine to the volume of maimal minerals received in the refining process, I put those in a simple table.
veldspar: unit 0.1m³ → batch 10m² → mineral 4 m³ | 40%
scordite: unit 0.15m³ → batch 15 m³ → mineral 2.4 m³ | 16%
plagioclase: unit 0.35m³ → batch 35 m³ → mineral 2.45 m³ | 7%
pyroxeres: unit 0.3m³ → batch 30 m³ → mineral 1.2m³ | 4%
omber: unit 0.6m³ → batch 60m³ → mineral 1.65m³ | 2.75%
Kernite: unit 1.2m³-> batch 120m³ → minerals 1.8m³ | 1.5 %
Jaspet: unit 2m² → batch 200m³ → minerals 2m² | 1%
Hemorphite: unit 3m³ → batch 300m³ → minerals 3.3m³ | 1.1%
Hebergite: unit 3m³ → batch 300m³ → minerals 5.7m³ | 1.9%
Gneiss: unit 5m³ → batch 500m³ → minerals 43m³ | 8.6%
Dark Ochre: unit 8m³ → batch 800m³ → minerals 28.8 m³ | 3.6%
Crokite: unit 16m³ → batch 1600m³ → minerals 36m³ | 2.25%
Bistote: unit 16m³ → batch 1600m³ → minerals 45.6m³ | 2.85%
Arkonor : unit 16m³ → batch 1600m³ → minerals 45.2m³ | 2.85%
Mercoxite: unit 40m³ → batch 4000m³ → minerals 1.4 m³ | 0.035%
Spodumain: unit 16m³ → bach 1600m³ → minerals 492.8 m³ | 30.8%
Bezdnacine: unit 16m³ → batch 1600m³ → minerals 449.28m³ | 28.08%
Rakovene: unit 16m³ → batch 1600m³ → minerals 434m³ | 27.18%
Talassonite: unit 16m³ → batch 1600m³ → mineral 409,92m³ | 25.62%
A quick glance shows that not all ore is turned into minerals some volume is lost in the refining process.
Storywise/Fiction wise this could be materials that end up being refining junk or the stations withhold as they are essential for the functioning of the refining.
This led me to a simple idea:
How about adding minerals that only act as refining additives and boost the refining outcome by 10 to 25%.
Technically this could be realised as a simple system where additional asteroids are added with new ores, that are refined into said additives. When refining a current ore additives can be inputted into the refining process in the process the refined ore gets eaten and the additives. And the player receives 1.1 or 1.25 timnes the current refined ammount of minerals.
Such a system could be as easy as five overal additive for refining bonus in 5% steps.
Or as complex as requiering some expirience to handle by underlying the outcome bonus to a specific “ore batch to additive ration” curve.