Mineral Ore Exploration, Mining, and Processing Flashcards
Use of gold in everyday life
jewelry, dentistry, electronics
What minerals do iron and steel come from?
hematite, magnetite, limonite
What minerals does copper come from? and what is its use?
malachite, azurite, chrysocolla
use: wires, pennies, electronics
What minerals does aluminum come from? and what is its use?
bauxite
use: cans, foil, bike, aircraft etc.
What minerals does lead come from? and what is its use?
galena
use: formerly plumbing and paints, now - mostly in chemical industry
What are the most abundant chemical elements in Earth’s Crust
Oxygen - 46.6%
Silicon - 27.7%
Al - 8.1%
Iron - 5%
etc.
At what percent of Earth’s Crust is highly useful and valuable
1.7%
Minerals that can be extracted, processed, and marketed at a profit
Economic Minerals
Factors of Economic Minerals
- interest in the mineral
- size of the deposit
- mineral concentration
- mineral depth below the surface (more expensive if deeper)
- market value
natural material with a high concentration of economically valuable minerals that can be mined for a profit
ore
the process of extracting useful materials from the earth.
mining
what are rocks composed of?
aggravates and minerals
Steps in mining
- pre-mining/exploration (project design, using aircraft to detect anomalies, drill to confirm anomalies, feasibility study [is it economical?])
- mining and processing (dig tunnel if subsurface mining, use explosives, mine, milling, separation, and processing [make it slurry [powder and water], flotation tanks, filter])
- post-mining/mine closure (cover up land, closure plans which should be planned already during the feasibility study, restoration, reclamation, and rehabilitation, sustaining post-mining use)
What are the chances that the anomalies during the exploration process are valuable
1/1000
method of extracting minerals near the surface of the Earth.
- mass damage
- easier and safer
- non-metals and organic substances are extracted
surface mining