Page 37 - Introduction to Mineral Exploration

20 A.M. EVANS

Major uses Civil engineering, building Alloys Herbicide, alloys, wood preservative Insulation Drilling muds, filler Aluminum production Bleaching clays, drilling muds, binders Alloys, electronics Pharmaceutical industry, alloys Glass wool, borosilicate glasses, detergents, agriculture Depends on Cr v. Al content. Steel industry, refractories, chemicals Energy source High temperature alloys, magnets, tool steels

Many different rocks and Often a byproduct of base Normally a byproduct of Dangerous materials, Industrial mineral uses Bertrandite is now more important than beryl A byproduct of various metal mining operations Various unusual minerals Byproduct of some copper

Remarks minerals used metal mining metal mining usage declining increasing mines

Supergene X X X X X

Primary X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

% Metal 72 36 33 46 19 73 13 ≈39 81 68(Cr) 56 Variable
Some of the more important ores and ore minerals.

Mineral formulae Sb 2 S 3 (Cu,Fe) 12 Sb 4 S 13 Pb 4 FeSb 6 S 14 FeAsS Cu 3 AsS 4 FeAs 2 (Cu,Fe) 12 As 4 S 13 (Mg,Fe) 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 Na 3 (Fe,Mg) 4 FeSi 8 O 22 (OH) 2 BaSO 4 AlO(OH) AlO(OH) Al(OH) 3 Montmorillonite group minerals Be 4 Si 2 O 7 (OH) 2 Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O 18 Bi 2 S 3 (Fe,Mg)(Cr,Al) 2 O 4 C,O&H CuCo 2 S 4 (Fe,Co)S 2 See shale

TABLE 2.1 Commodity and principal ore minerals Aggregates Antimony stibnite tetrahedrite jamesonite Arsenic arsenopyrite enargite löllingite tennantite Asbestos chrysotile riebeckite Baryte Bauxite boehmite diaspore gibbsite Bentonite and fuller’s earth Beryllium bertrandite beryl Bismuth bismuthinite Borates Chromium chromite Coal Cobalt carrollite cobaltiferous pyrite Common clay