This master thesis deals with the application of optical and sensor-based sorting techniques in the treatment of mineral bulk material. The main target was in consultation with the research partner Binder+Co AG to demonstrate by experimental investigations on different types of material the possibilities and limitations of this promising technology and to compare it with conventional mineral processing methods. In the theoretical part the state of the art and the physical background werediscussed. This is done by selection of several sensor types which are already in use in an industrial scale or currently in development. Particular attention was given to the types of sensors used by the Binder+Co AG, working in the near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In the practical part of this paper 40 raw materials from different deposits were characterized by mineralogical investigation methods. Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the mineral phases because it also may be a possible sensor technology for bulk sorting. Following five types of minerals from different deposits selected to a more detailed examination. This is rock salt from the salt mines of Altaussee in Austria, talc from the Northeast of China, fluorite and barite from the Clara mine in Germany, gypsum and anhydrite of Puchberg on Schneeberg and magnesite from the Breitenau, both located in Austria. The rock salt samples were processed by means of transmission technology. It turns out that higher purities can be achieved compared to the classical treatment units using this method. In this particular case, the best results were obtained by using the existing triple magnetic separation step followed by a two stage optical sorter. Purities of over 99 % of soluble content could be obtained. The talc samples from northern China need to be separated from the gangue material, which are in this case mainly magnesite and some quartz. This can be achieved by the means of near infrared sorting. Many successful testing have been done and since the project is already realized in the processing plant, it can be assumed that this technology can be used very well for this task. The restriction here is that the fraction of