ME551/GEO551 Geology of Industrial Minerals Spring 2012

ME551/GEO551 Geology of Industrial Minerals

Spring 2012

Commodities, Part 1

Mineral Identification, Aggregates, Asbestos, Barite, Borates, Bromine

Commodities outline

Introduction (definition) Uses (properties) Production Geologic descriptions and distribution Processing, marketing

Sources of information

SME Industrial Minerals Handbook SME abstracts, preprints, publications USGS Mineral Commodities Summaries USGS Fact Sheets USGS publications Company reports Industrial Minerals Forum WEB

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2012/mcs2012.pdf

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2012/mcs2012.pdf

Mineral Identification

Properties of minerals

Habit (Crystal forms and shapes)

Hardness Cleavage Streak Color Luster Transparency Twinning Fracture Specific Gravity Associated Minerals

Fluorescence Magnetism Odor Feel Taste Solubility Reaction to acids Radioactive

minerals Meteoritic

minerals

Hardness

ease or difficulty with which the mineral can be scratched

controlled by the strength of bonds between atoms

Cleavage

Way the mineral breaks or fractures

one direction of weakness, or in other minerals, 2, 3, 4, or as many as 6 may be present

determine the angular relation between the resulting cleavage surfaces– perpendicular– acute– obtuse

Streak

color of a mineral when it is powdered

crushing and powdering a mineral eliminates some of the effects of impurities and structural flaws

Black - Graphite Black - Pyrite Black - Magnetite Black - Chalcopyrite Gray - Galena Limonite - Yellow-

brown Hematite - Red-

brown

Luster way a mineral’s

surface reflects light

metallic earthy waxy greasy vitreous (glassy) adamantine (or

brilliant, as in a faceted diamond)

From:geology.csupomona.edu/alert/mineral/minerals.htm

Color

From:geology.csupomona.edu/alert/mineral/minerals.htm

SOURCES FOR MINERAL IDENTIFICATION http://un2sg4.unige.ch/athena/mineral/searc

h.html http://www.webmineral.com/

Aggregates

AGGREGATEAGGREGATE SANDSAND GRAVELGRAVEL

Hard materialsMixing with cementingForm concrete,mortar, asphalt

Railroad ballast,Road base, Landscaping rock

Granular materialdue to

Rock disintegration

Diameter range:2 mm – 1/16 mm

Unconsolidated, rounded rock fragments

Boulders Cobbles Pebbles Granules

Introduction

Aggregates are an integral part of our roads, sidewalks, sewers, subway tunnels and airports, as well as our homes, offices, hospitals, schools and shopping centers.

Aggregates are critical ingredients in a number of manufactured products such as glass, coated paper, paint and pharmaceuticals.

Aggregates are also used in several manufacturing processes, including the making of steel, aluminium and plastic.

Found in fertilizer, floor coverings, toothpaste

Aggregates include

Crushed stone Aggregates Sand and gravel

Most important indicator of construction activities and health of society

Crushed Stone—introduction

70% limestone and dolomite

16%, granite 7%, traprock

7% other– sandstone and

quartzite– miscellaneous stone– marble– calcareous marl– slate– shell– volcanic cinder and

scoria

2. USES 2. USES

2. USES 2. USES

ROAD BUILDING

ConcreteConcrete

Bridges

Tunnels

Asphalt PavementAsphalt Pavement

Mortar

Plaster

Treated and untreated road base materials

Structural and nonstructural fill

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

ConcreteConcrete

Cast-in-place

Precast Structure

Cladding Elements

OthersOthers

Fill

Septic Fields

Construction related uses

All commercial activities including agriculture

Waste treatment facilities (waste water filtration) Hydroelectric power systems

Coal-fired electric power plants

USGS Mineral Commodities Summaries 2012

Sand and gravel for construction

Sand and gravel for industrial

Crushed stone

Dimension stone

DredgeTailings

Stream Deposits Alluvial

Fans

BeachDeposits

Older Geologic

Formations

OriginOrigin

Geology

4. MINING & PROCESSING 4. MINING & PROCESSING

Shovels DraglinesLoaders Trucks

Dry-pit Operation

Wet-pit Operation

Dragline FloatingDredge


a) Conventional earth-moving equipment

b) Groundwater is removed from wet gravel pits

c) Wet mining techniques (dredging)


http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/NAE%20aggregates%20Internet%20NRC%20with%20USGS%20sheet/load%20haul%20trucks.htm

http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/NAE%20aggregates%20Internet%20NRC%20with%20USGS%20sheet/miningbench.htm

http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/NAE%20aggregates%20Internet%20NRC%20with%20USGS%20sheet/drilling.htm

Houses made of adobe bricks are still popular in urban areas.

Crushed Stone Lightweight Aggregate manufactured by

sintering Pumice Expanded Perlite Expanded Vermiculate Iron blast Furnace Slag

Substitutes

Environmental Issues

Diesel fumes Fugitive dust Increased traffic Increased air pollution Increased use of ground water Subsidence

Where is the nearest sand and gravel pit to NM Tech?

Asbestos

Asbestos—Introduction six fibrous minerals

USGS Facts Sheet on Asbestos

Asbestiform

The physical form or appearance of minerals that consists of long, thin and sometimes flexible fibers or needle-like structures.

Chain Silicate

A class of silicate minerals that form in structural chains. In some of these minerals the chains can separate easily along parallel crystallographic planes and can form fibrous or needle-like structures. Amphiboles and pyroxenes are members of the chain silicate family.

Sheet Silicate

A class of silicate minerals that form in structural sheets and often break easily along one crystallographic plane so as to form extremely thin flat plates. Members of this mineral group include micas, clays, and serpentines.

Asbestos—Properties

Color—olive green, yellow or golden, brown, or black

fibrous Hardness 3 - 4.5 Specific Gravity 2.2 - 2.6 silky feel greasy, waxy or silky luster

Asbestos—Properties

Fibrous (aspect ratio 50:1) high tensile strength chemical and thermal stability high flexibility low electrical conductivity large surface area can be woven

Virta, 2002 (USGS OF-02-149)

Asbestos—Uses First used in Finland in 2500 BC where

anthophyllite was used to reinforce clay utensils and pottery

lamp wicks and crematory clothing roofing and flooring products gaskets friction products (brake linings, clutch facings) asbestos cement (pipe and sheet)

Asbestos—Uses55% for roofing products26% for coatings and compounds19% for other applications

Asbestos—Production No asbestos mining in U.S. since 2002

– 715 metric tons consumed in US in 2009 (1,460 metric tons in 2008)

– $613/metric ton in 2009

Canada 180,000 metric tons in 2009 Russia 1,020,000 metric tons in 2009 China 280,000 metric tons (400 metric tons in

2006) Kazakhstan, Brazil, Zimbabwe

World resources

200 million tons of identified resources

Virta, 2002 (USGS OF-02-149)

Virta, 2002 (USGS OF-02-149)

USGS Facts Sheet on Asbestos

Asbestos—Substitutes calcium silicate carbon fiber cellulose fiber ceramic fiber glass fiber steel fiber wollastonite several organic fibers



Why was there so little asbestos produced in 2011?

Asbestos—Geology

Ultramafic rocks skarn deposits serpentinized dolomitic limestones serpentine veins age Precambrian (Zimbabwe) to

Jurassic (California)

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/baieverte_mine_operation_500.html

Thetford Mines, Québec Asbestos Mining Districthttp://www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/thetfordmines/ophiolite.htm

Asbestos—Processing

Store, ship, receive, and use in dust free environment

crushing concentrate--magnetic, screening

Asbestos—Markets

1960s-1970s consumption increased 1980s-health risks were realized and

production dropped today markets in Western Europe and

Asia

Asbestos—Health Risks

Causes cancer, especially mesothelioma

Lung diseases mining, construction, mining or

shipbuilding industries

Barite

Barite—Introduction

Greek word "barus" (heavy) BaSO4 barytes

Barite—Properties

Color—variable, commonly colorless or white, also blue, green, yellow and red shades

Luster is vitreous bladed crystals Specific Gravity 4.5 (heavy) Hardness 3 - 3.5

Barite in Britian

Palm Park, NM

Barite—Uses heavy cement weighting agent in petroleum well drilling mud filler or extender additive to cement, rubber, and urethane foam automobile paint primer friction products (brake and clutch pads) cement vessels that contain radioactive materials white pigment gastrointestinal x-ray “milkshakes” faceplate and funnelglass of cathode-ray tubes used for television

sets and computer monitors to protect against radiation

Barite—Production

Nevada Georgia Tennessee Great Britian India Canada Mexico China



Barite—Substitutes

Celestite ilmenite iron ore synthetic hematite

Barite—Geology

Sedimentary exhalative (Sedex) deposits Rio Grande Rift (RGR) deposits Mississippi Valley type (MVT) deposits Sedimentary stratiform deposits volcanic massive sulfide deposits gangue in epithermal and mesothermal

veins

Barite—Processing

washing jigging heavy media separation tabling flotation magnetic separation

Borates

Borates—Introduction

Boron found in more than 80 different minerals

Tincal - Na2O·B4O7·10H2O (Egyptians used it to mummify their dead)

Kernite - Na2O·B4O7·4H2O Ulexite - NaCaB5O9·8H2O Colemanite - Ca2B6O11·5H2O

Kernite http://www.borax.com

Borax fuses at a low temperature and easily dissolves in different important elements like copper, chromium, cobalt, iron, nickel, and uranium giving different characteristic colors.

flux in the manufacture of artificial gems. Cubic boron nitride, commercially called 'Borazon' equals the diamond in hardness and has a greater resistance to oxidation under heat. Borazon can stand the temperature which is more than twice the temperature limit of a diamond i.e. about 900°C.

Borax mining in US started from Borax lake in Tehama County, CA in 1864

cotton ball ulexite in the playa of Teel's Marsh by Frances Marion (Borax) Smith in 1872

production then moved to Death Valley in 1880 by William Tell Coleman, 20 mule team wagons.

Borates—Uses

glass products, 75% soaps and detergents, 7% agriculture, 4% fire retardants, 4% hydrogen fuel systems

Borates—Substitutions

sodium and potassium salts of fatty acids

chlorine bleach or enzymes phosphates cellulose, foams, and mineral wools

Borates—Production

600 million metric tons of borates in viable deposits worldwidein U.S.--U.S. Borax, now Rio Tinto Borax owned by Rio Tinto

Bromine

Bromine (bromides)—Introduction

Discovered 1826 liquid at normal temperatures and pressures heavy, mobile, reddish-brown liquid that

volatilizes bromine salts common in nature seawater, salt lakes, inland seas, and brine wells Seawater contains about 65 ppm bromide salts,

Dead Sea 5000 ppm

Bromine—Properties unique chemical interaction with the

combustion process allows for flame retardation manufacture flame retardants, pharmaceuticals,

paper, dyes, insect repellents, drilling fluids, perfumes, photographic chemicals, water-treatment chemicals, and sanitizers

Crude salt is basic material in the chemical industry

Bromine—Uses Romans used a chemical produced naturally by

marine mussels was extracted to produce purple dye (royal purple)

fire retardants (40%) drilling fluids (24%) brominated pesticides (12%) water-treatment chemicals (7%) photographic chemicals and rubber additives

(17%)

Bromine—Uses

Ethylene dibromine, gives anti-knock gasoline compounds

Bromine—Production

Three bromine companies accounted for 64% of world production.

Two are in the U.S. (Arkansas and Michigan) 38%

Israel 2nd largest producer

Bromine—Production (USGS)

Bromine—Production (USGS)

Bromine—Substitutions

Chlorine iodine recycling of plastics to recover bromine

Bromine—Geology

Submarine brines (Arkansas, Michigan) extracted from seawater by-product of potash

Bromine—Processing

boiling the treated brine solution Herbert Dow developed the electrolysis

process in 1894 and the Dow Chemical Company in 1897

By passing the bromine-laden air through a body of iron turnings," Dow said in his patent, "the bromine and iron will chemically unite, forming a bromide of iron known as ferric bromide.”http://www.rockbridgegroup.com...

Bromine—Health risks

Red vapor is irritating to eyes Blisters on skin odor from Greek bromos meaning stench

Next week

Bauxite, Clays, Diatomite, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Graphite

Documents

ME551/GEO551 Geology of Industrial Minerals Spring 2012