Minerals PDF

Minerals and Mineral Resources In the US alone, about 130 million cell phones retired annually. Together, these cell phones weigh 14,000 metric tons which contain almost 2100 metric tons of Cu, 46 metric tons of Ag and 3.9 metric tons of Au, 2 metric tons of Pd and 0.04 metric tons of Pt (Olivar, e...

Minerals and Mineral Resources In the US alone, about 130 million cell phones retired annually. Together, these cell phones weigh 14,000 metric tons which contain almost 2100 metric tons of Cu, 46 metric tons of Ag and 3.9 metric tons of Au, 2 metric tons of Pd and 0.04 metric tons of Pt (Olivar, et.,al 2016) Objectives  Identify common rock-forming minerals using their physical and chemical properties  Identify the minerals important to society  Describe how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed for human use  Cite ways to prevent or lessen the environmental impact that result from the exploitation, extraction, and use of mineral resources.  What is a mineral? Mineral Characteristics shared by all minerals: 1. Natural  occurs naturally  NOT manmade 2. Inorganic in nature  Is not alive  Was never alive What is a mineral?  1. Natural  2. Inorganic  3. Crystalline solids  Atoms are arranged in an orderly pattern What is a mineral?  1. Natural  2. Inorganic  3. Crystalline  4. Definite chemical composition  The chemical composition of minerals should express the exact chemical formula with the elements and compounds in specific ratios.  Chemical formula SiO2 is Quartz What is a mineral?  1. Natural  2. Inorganic  3. Crystalline  4. Definite chemical composition  5. Specific Atomic Arrangement  The atoms in minerals are organized in a regular, repetitive geometric patterns or crystal structure.  Volcanic glass is not considered mineral because it is amorphous and has no form.  NOTE: all substances that fulfill all the requirements but do not have an ordered internal structure are called mineraloids. Ex. Amber, opal and pearl. Internal structure matter! Graphite and diamond has the same chemical composition. Both composed of pure carbon. However, diamonds crystallize at very high temperature and pressure conditions forming strong covalent bonds forming isometric system. On the other hand, graphite forms at lower temperature and pressure under hexagonal system.  Mineral Characteristics shared by all minerals: Now I Can Define Surely what mineral is!  Natural  Inorganic  Crystalline Solid  Definite chemical composition  Specific Atomic structure  MINERALS CLASSIFICATION BY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION  Minerals may be composed of single or multiple elements. The minerals that are found in the Earth's crust are basically almost composed of two elements:  Silicon  oxygen  Oxygen and silicon make up about 75% of the total mass of elements in the Earth's crust. This leads to the basic chemical structure of 90% of all minerals.  MINERALS CLASSIFICATION BY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 1. Silicates class  Minerals composed of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons.  Silicates are the major rock-forming minerals includes olivine and quartz. 2. Oxides class  minerals containing Oxygen anion (O2-) combined with one or more metal ions.  Common oxide minerals are Cuprite (Cu2O) and hematite (Fe203).  MINERALS CLASSIFICATION BY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 3. Sulfides class  consist of metal cation bonded to sulfide (S2-)  They are common ore minerals along with oxides since metals form high proportion of the mineral.  Examples of sulfides are galena (PbS) and pyrite (FeS2) 4. Sulfates class  minerals containing Sulfur and Oxygen anion (SO4)- combined with other ions.  They usually precipitate out of water near Earth’s surface.  Example of sulfate is gypsum (CaSO4 2H2O)  MINERALS CLASSIFICATION BY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 5. Halides are composed of halogen ion such chlorine or flourine and other metal elements which forms halite or rock salt (NaCl) and flourite (CaF3). 6. Carbonates are characterized by the presence of carbonic ion (CO3)2- which bonds other elements or compound. Ex. Calcite(CaCO3) 7. Native metals consist of a single metal such as copper and gold.  Crystals and Minerals  Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids - and they occur in the form of crystals.  Crystals an naturally occurring solid geometric form where the atoms are arranged in an ordered (and repeating) pattern in 3 dimensions.  Crystal Form  Crystal form (shape) is the external expression of a mineral’s internal atomic structure.  How it is put together at the microscopic level.  It is dependent on the chemical composition of the mineral. Minerals that have similar chemical compositions often share the same crystal structure and generally belong to the same crystal system.  There are seven crystal systems in grouping minerals based on structure:  Crystal Habit  Habit- Habit is the external shape of a crystal that is developed during the formation of the mineral  The general term used to describe the general shape of a crystal.  It can be described as:  Granular, acicular, massive, reniform, drusy or encrusting. Physical Properties of Minerals  Physical Properties of Minerals  1. Color  Firstimpression  Not very reliable because lots of minerals can occur in many different colors Fluorite Clear Blue Green Purple  Physical Properties of Minerals  1. Color  2. Streak  The TRUE color of a mineral  Color of a mineral’s in powder form  Physical Properties of Minerals  1. Color  2. Streak  3. Hardness A mineral’s resistance to being scratched  Hardness depends on how “tightly packed” the atoms are.  Mohs Hardness Scale from 1-10  Mohs Hardness Scale Is qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through ability of harder material to scratch softer material. 1. Talc Softest 2. Gypsum 3. Calcite 4. Fluorite 5. Apatite 6. Potassium feldspar 7. Quartz 8. Topaz 9. Corundum 10. Diamond Hardest Minerals with a hardness greater than “7” usually don’t create a streak on the streak plate because they are harder than the Porcelain tile (unless the streak plate is specially made). Streak  Physical Properties of Minerals  1. Color  2. Streak  3. Hardness  4. Cleavage  Describes how a mineral tends to break along preferred planes. “Cleav” = to split  Physical Properties of Minerals  1. Color  2. Streak  3. Hardness  4. Cleavage  5. Fracture  Refers to irregular breaks not along the preferred planes. Fracture  Physical Properties of Minerals Nonmetallic  1. Color  2. Streak  3. Hardness  4. Cleavage  5. Fracture  6. Luster  How light shines off a mineral Metallic  Metallic or Nonmetallic Physical Properties of Minerals: Used for Identification (I.D.)  Color  Streak  Hardness  Cleavage  Fracture  Luster Special Properties  1. Magnetism  Attracted to a magnet  Contains IRON, cobalt, or nickel Ex. Magnetite  Special Properties  1. Magnetism  2. Fluorescence  Glows under ultraviolet (UV) light  Fluorescence under ultraviolet, UV light Special Properties  1. Magnetism  2. Fluorescence  3. Phosphorescence  Continues to glow even after the UV light has been removed Special Properties  1. Magnetism  2. Fluorescence  3. Phosphorescence  4. Piezoelectric  Electricity is generated from Pressure  Example: Quartz Special Properties  Magnetism  Fluorescence  Phosphorescence  Piezoelectric Common Rock-forming Minerals  Rock forming minerals include:  Olivine  Plagioclasefeldspar  Calcite  Potassium feldspar  Dolomite  Quartz  Hermatite  Muscovite  Halite  Biotite  Gypsum  Amphibole  Talc  Pyroxene  Chlorite  The Physical Properties and uses of hardness the Common Minerals cleavage fracture luster COMMON DISTINGUISHING MINERAL USES COMPOSITION COLORS CHARACTERISTICS NAME Black streak, greasy Pencil lead, 1-2 X Silver to gray feel lubricants Graphite C Metallic luster Very dense, gray 2.5 X Metallic silver black Ore of lead Galena PbS 5.5- Attracted by 6.5 X black to silver magnet, black streak Ore of iron Magnetite Fe3O4 Green-black streak, 6.5 X Brassy cubic crystals Ore of sulfur Pyrite FeS2 Non-metallic luster Either 1- Metallic silver or 6.5 X earthly red Red-brown streak Ore of Iron Hematite Fe2O3 Talcum 1 x White to green Greasy Feel powder, cubic Talc Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 crystals Vulcanize 2 X Yellow to amber Easily melted rubber, Sulfur S sulphuric acid White to pink or Easily scratched by Plaster of paris Gypsum 2 CaSO4 2H2O gray a fingernail and drywall (selenite) MINERALS AND THEIR USES  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Feldspar Feldspar is a rock-forming mineral. It is used in  glass and ceramic industries;  pottery, porcelain and enamelware;  soaps;  bond for abrasive wheels;  cement; glues;  fertilizer; and tarred roofing materials  and as a sizing, or filler, in textiles and paper applications.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Fluorite Fluorite is used in:  production of hydrofluoric acid, which is used in the pottery, ceramics, optical, electroplating, and plastics industries.  It is also used in the metallurgical treatment of bauxite,  as a flux in open-hearth steel furnaces, and in metal smelting,  as well as in carbon electrodes, emery wheels, electric arc welders,  and toothpaste as a source of fluorine.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Garnet Garnet is used  in water filtration,  electronic components,  ceramics, glass, jewelry, and  abrasives used in wood furniture and transport manufacturing.  "Garnet is a common metamorphic mineral that becomes abundant enough to mine in a few rocks" (Kesler, 1994).  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Graphite Graphite is the crystal form of carbon. Graphite is used as a:  dry lubricant and steel hardener  and for brake linings and  the production of "lead" in pencils.  Most graphite production comes from Korea, India, and Mexico. Gypsum MINERALS AND THEIR USES Processed gypsum is used in industrial or building plaster, prefabricated wallboard, cement manufacture, and for agriculture.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Halite Halite (salt) is used in:  the human and animal diet,  primarily as food seasoning and as a food preservation.  It is also used to prepare sodium hydroxide,  soda ash,  caustic soda,  hydrochloric acid,  chlorine, and metallic sodium,  it is used in ceramic glazes, metallurgy, curing of hides, mineral waters, soap manufacture, home water softeners, highway deicing, photography, and scientific equipment for optical parts.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Pyrite Pyrite (fools gold) is used  in the manufacture of sulfur,  sulfuric acid, and sulfur dioxide;  pellets of pressed pyrite dust are used to recover iron, gold, copper, cobalt, and nickel.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Quartz Quartz crystals are popular as a semiprecious gemstone; crystalline varieties include amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, and smoky quartz. Because of its piezoelectric properties (the ability to generate electricity under mechanical stress), quartz is used:  for pressure gauges,  oscillators,  resonators, and  wave stabilizers.  Quartz is also used in the manufacture of glass, paints,  abrasives,  refractories, and  precision instruments.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Silica Silica is used in the  manufacture of computer chips,  glass and refractory materials, ceramics, abrasives, and water filtration;  and is a component of hydraulic cements, a filler in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paper,  and insecticides;  as an anti-caking agent in foods; a flatting agent in paint,  and as a thermal insulator.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Sulfur  Sulfur is of importance to every sector of the world's manufacturing processes, drugs, and fertilizer complexes.  Sulfur is used as an industrial raw material through its major derivative, sulfuric acid.  Sulfuric acid production is the major end use for sulfur.  Most sulfur goes into fertilizer; oil refining is another major use as well as a source of sulfur.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Talc  The primary use for talc is in the production of paper.  Ground talc is used as filler in ceramics, paint, paper, roofing, plastics, cosmetics, and in agriculture.  Talc is found in many common household products, such as baby (talcum) powder, deodorant, and makeup.  Very pure talc is used in fine arts and is called soapstone.  It is often used to carve figurines.  MINERALS AND THEIR USES Zeolites  Some of the uses of zeolite minerals include aquaculture (for removing ammonia from the water in fish hatcheries),  water softener, catalysts,  cat litter,  odor control, and  removing radioactive ions from nuclear-plant effluent.  Mineral Resource Mineral resource is a concentration of naturally occurring material from the earth’s crust that we can extract and process into raw materials and useful products.  Ores and Minerals  Ores are naturally-occuring materials that can be profitably mined.  Ore Deposit – mineral deposit that has been tested and known to be economically profitable to mine.  A rock or mineral is considered an ore based on:  Overall chemical composition  Percentage of extractable resource with respect to its total volume,  Market value of the resource  Mining ores  Mining refers to a set of processes through which useful resources Mineral Deposit – mineral are withdrawn occurrence of sufficient size and from a stock of any grade or concentration to enable extraction under the nonrenewable most favorable conditions resource.  Refers to extraction of mineral resources.  Types of Mineral Resources  Metallic  Metallic mineral deposits: gold, silver, copper, platinum, iron.  Nonmetallic  Non-metallic resources: talc, fluorite, sulfur, sand, gravel Mining Methods  Surface Mining  Utilized to extract ore minerals that are close to Earth’s surface  Different types include open pit mining, quarrying, placer mining and strip mining. 600m deep open pit diamond Limestone Quarry in northern mine Illinois  Mining Methods  Underground mining  Utilized to extract ore minerals from the orebody is that is deep under the Earth’s surface.  The Milling Process  The materials extracted or “mined" are rocks composed of both ore and waste material (part of the rock which contain very little or no element or mineral of economic value). The extracted rocks will undergo processes of mineral (e.g. metal) separation and recovery.  Recovering the minerals from the ore and waste materials can involve one or more processes where in the separation is usually done in a mill. Milling Methods 1. Heavy media separation: The crushed rocks are submerged in liquid where the heavier/denser minerals sink thus are separated from the lighter minerals. This is commonly used to separate. Milling Methods  2. Magnetic separation: If the metal or mineral is magnetic, the crushed ore is separated from the waste materials using a powerful magnet. Milling Methods 3. Flotation: The powdered ore is placed into an agitated and frothy slurry where some minerals and metals based on physical and chemical properties may either sink to the bottom or may stick to the bubbles and rise to the top thus separating the minerals and metals from the waste. Milling Methods 4. Cyanide heap leaching: This method used for low- grade gold ore where the crushed rock is placed on a “leach pile” where cyanide solution is sprayed or dripped on top of the pile. As the leach solution percolates down through the rocks, the gold is dissolved into the solution. The solution is processed further to extract the gold. The waste material is either used as a backfill in the mine or sent to a tailings pond, while the metals are sent for further processing  Mining extraction method Sand and Gravel extraction Ore Processing Extraction from buried Ore bodies