Unit 8
Industrial Minerals

Overview

In this unit, we will consider minerals used in a wide variety of applications, including the production of chemicals and fertilizers, the manufacture of ceramics, refractories, fluxes, and abrasives, and the construction of roads and buildings. While some of these uses may not immediately come to mind when you think of mineral resources, the industrial minerals are, nevertheless, extremely important to the economy and to our everyday lives. In fact, many of these minerals are used in extracting and processing more visible minerals, such as metals.

The industrial minerals are classed as nonmetallic because the ores are processed for their nonmetallic elements, which are valued for their physical or chemical characteristics. We will examine these minerals in the context of their use. Consequently, the unit is divided into three sections: minerals for fertilizers, minerals for chemicals, and minerals for construction.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

  1. outline the principle components of fertilizer and the roles each component plays in plant growth.
  2. describe the formation and occurrence of phosphorus and potassium deposits, the methods used in their recovery, and their conversion into materials usable as fertilizer.
  3. describe the occurrences of sulfur, the methods used in its recovery, and its industrial applications.
  4. outline the occurrences of the chemical minerals halite, soda ash, sodium sulfate, boron, and fluorine; describe the methods used in their recovery, and describe their uses.
  5. outline the resources used as building materials
  6. describe the use of sandstone, limestone, granite, marble, and slate as dimension stone.
  7. describe the preparation of cement from limestone, clay, and silica.
  8. outline the use of gypsum in the manufacture of plaster of Paris and plasterboard.
  9. outline the use of silica in the production of glass.
  10. describe the properties of asbestos that made it a widely used industrial mineral, and explain its harmful effects.
  11. explain the occurrence of natural diamonds, the methods used in their recovery, and their uses.
  12. outline the production of synthetic diamonds and describe their uses.
Top