MINING & MINERAL RESOURCES

Chapter 16, Section 1: Minerals & Mineral ResourcesStandards: SEV4a, c, e

WHAT IS A MINERAL? Minerals are

Naturally occurring Usually inorganic

solids Have characteristic

chemical compositions

Orderly internal structures

Specific set of physical properties

WHAT DETERMINES THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS?

Minerals can be made of atoms of 1 single element. Ex: silver- Ag

Minerals can be made of compounds- 2 or more different elements. Ex: sand- SiO2

The arrangements of atoms and the strength of the bonds between them give minerals their physical properties.

They Might Be Giants: "Meet the Elements" (BB Video) - YouTube

WHAT ARE SOME MINERAL RESOURCES & THEIR USES?

Metallic minerals Shiny surfaces, opaque Can be pounded, pressed,

stretched Good conductors of heat,

electricity Durable, can resist corrosion Can be combined to make an alloy

Alloys combine desirable properties of 2 different metals

Ex: titanium can be alloyed with aluminum to make strong, lightweight metal used to make stealth fighter

Examples: Aluminum- cans, siding, cars Copper- wires, heating, plumbing Gold- computers, spacecraft,

medicine Iron- steel Lead- batteries, glass, ceramics

WHAT ARE SOME MINERAL RESOURCES & THEIR USES?

Non-metallic minerals Good insulators Shiny or dull surfaces Can be transluscent Have variety of uses Examples:

Gypsum- used to make sheetrock/wallboard

Sand/gravel- glass, building materials, computer chips

Sulfur- gunpowder, rubber Phosphorus- fertilizer Gemstones- jewelry

(diamonds, ruby)

HOW DO ORE MINERALS FORM? Leaching- groundwater moves

down thru rock & heated by magma causing dissolved minerals to crystallize.

Magma- moves upward thru crust, cools, hardens, sinks due to density & forms metallic minerals

Evaporites- water in seas or lakes evaporates and leaves behind deposits of dissolved minerals (ex: rock salt)

Hydrothermal solutions- hot subsurface water with dissolved minerals flows thru cracks in ocean floor, dissolve other minerals in floor and form new compounds upon re-crystallization. Creates veins of ore.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ORE MINERAL AND A GANGUE MINERAL?

Ore minerals- contain elements of some economic value Ex: bauxite contains aluminum Ex: halite contains rock salt

Gangue minerals- have no commercial value- basically waste rock

Consider a Hershey’s bar with almonds… Gangue = wrapper Ore mineral = chocolate Element of economic value =

almonds

HOW ARE ELEMENTS SEPARATED FROM ORE MINERALS & GANGUE? Extraction- removal of ore

mineral from the ground (mining)

Refining- removal of element from ore mineral & gangue Must remove gangue from ore

mineral first Then remove ore mineral from

element Use chemicals, magnets, or

crushing devices to separate the good from the waste.

For mining to be profitable, the price of the final product must be greater than the cost of extraction & refining.