There are many natural deposits of substances important to humans. These are resources that are exhaustible and that should be protected. Without their development and production, many aspects of people's lives would be extremely difficult.
Minerals and their properties - this is the object and subject of study of the geology of mining. The results obtained by her are used in the future for the processing and production of many things.
Minerals and their properties
What is generally called minerals? These are rocks or mineral structures that are of great national economic importance and are widely used in industry.
Their diversity is great, therefore, the properties for each species are specific. There are several main options for the accumulations of the considered substances in nature:
- placers;
- strata;
- veins;
- stocks;
- nests.
If we talk about the general distribution of minerals, then we can distinguish:
- provinces;
- areas;
- pools;
- Place of Birth.
Minerals and their properties depend on the specific type of raw material. This determines the area of their use by man, as well as the method of extraction and processing.
Types of minerals
There is more than one classification of the raw materials in question. So, if signs of an aggregate state are based, then such varieties are distinguished.
- Solid mineral. Examples: marble, salts, granite, metallic ores, non-metallic.
- Liquid - underground mineral water and oil.
- Gas - natural gas, helium.
If, on the basis of the subdivision into types, the use of minerals, then the classification takes the following form.
- Combustible. Examples: oil, oil shale, coal, methane and others.
- Ore or igneous. Examples: all metal-containing ore raw materials, as well as asbestos and graphite.
- Non-metallic. Examples: all raw materials not containing metals (clay, sand, chalk, gravel and others), as well as various salts.
- Gemstones. Examples: precious and semiprecious, as well as semi-precious stones (diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, jasper, chalcedony, opal, carnelian and others).
According to the variety presented, it is obvious that minerals and their properties are a whole world that is explored by a huge number of geologists and miners.
Major deposits
Various mineral resources (minerals) distributed throughout the planet fairly evenly according to geological features. Indeed, a significant part of them is formed due to platform movements and tectonic eruptions. There are several main continents that are richest in almost all types of raw materials. It:
- North and South America.
- Eurasia.
- Africa.
All countries that are located in the designated territories widely use mineral resources and their properties. In the same areas where there is no raw material, there are export deliveries.
In general, of course, it is difficult to determine the general plan of mineral resource deposits. After all, it all depends on the specific type of raw material. One of the most expensive are precious (containing noble metals) minerals. Gold, for example, is everywhere except Europe (from the above continents plus Australia). It is valued very highly, and its mining is one of the most common phenomena in mining.
The richest in combustible resources is Eurasia. Mountain minerals (talc, barite, kaolin, limestone, quartzite, apatite, salt) are distributed almost everywhere in large quantities.
Mining
In order to extract and prepare minerals for use, different methods are used.
- Open way. The necessary raw materials are extracted directly from the quarries. Over time, this leads to the formation of extensive ravines, therefore it is not sparing for nature.
- The mine method is more correct, but expensive.
- Fountain method of pumping oil.
- Pumping method.
- Geotechnological methods of ore processing.
The development of mineral deposits is an important and necessary process, but leading to very disastrous consequences. After all, resources are exhaustible. Therefore, in recent years, special emphasis has been placed not on large volumes of extraction of mineral resources, but on their more correct and rational use by humans.
Ore (igneous) rocks
This group includes the most important and largest minerals in terms of production. Ore is a formation of mineral nature, which contains in large quantities one or another desired metal (another component).
Places of extraction and processing of such raw materials are called mines. Magmatic rocks can be classified into four groups:
- ferrous metals ;
- colored;
- noble;
- non-metallic components.
Here are some examples of ore mineral resources.
- Manganese ores.
- Iron.
- Nickel
- Argentite.
- Cassiterite.
- Beryl.
- Bornite.
- Chalcopyrite.
- Uraninite.
- Asbestos.
- Graphite and others.
Gold - Ore Mineral
Among the ore and special minerals. Gold, for example. Its extraction has been relevant since ancient times, because it has always been highly valued by people. Today, gold is mined and washed in almost every country on whose territory there are at least its small deposits.
In nature, gold is found in the form of native particles. The largest ingot was found in Australia weighing almost 70 kg. Often, due to weathering of deposits and their erosion, placers are formed in the form of sand grains from this precious metal.
From such mixtures, it is extracted by washing and sieving. In general, these are not very common and voluminous minerals. Gold is therefore called a precious and noble metal.
The centers for the extraction of this ore mineral are:
- Russia.
- Canada.
- South Africa.
- Australia.
Fossil fuels
This group includes mineral resources such as:
- brown coal;
- oil;
- gas (methane, helium);
- coal.
The use of minerals of this kind is fuel and raw materials for the production of various chemical compounds and substances.
Coal is such a fossil that lies at a relatively shallow depth in wide layers. Its quantity is limited in one particular deposit. Therefore, having exhausted one pool, people move to another. In general, coal contains up to 97% pure carbon. It was formed historically, as a result of the dying and ramming of plant organic residues. These processes lasted millions of years, so now there is a huge amount of coal reserves all over the planet.
Oil is also called liquid gold, which emphasizes how important an mineral resource it is. After all, this is the main source of high-quality combustible fuel, as well as its various components - the basis, raw materials for chemical syntheses. The leaders in oil production are countries such as:
- Russia.
- USA.
- Algeria;
- Mexico.
- Indonesia.
- Venezuela.
- Libya.
Natural gas, which is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons, is also an important industrial fuel. It belongs to the cheapest raw materials, therefore it is especially widely used. The leading mining countries are Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Non-metallic or non-metallic species
This group includes minerals and rocks such as:
- clay;
- a piece of chalk;
- sand;
- pebbles;
- gravel;
- crushed stone;
- talc;
- kaolin;
- barite;
- graphite;
- diamonds
- quartz;
- apatity;
- phosphorite and others.
All varieties can be combined into several groups by area of use.
- Mining chemical minerals.
- Metallurgical raw materials.
- Technical crystals.
- Construction Materials.
Gemstone minerals are often referred to the same group. Areas of use of minerals of non-metallic nature are multifaceted and extensive. This is agriculture (fertilizers), construction (materials), glass making, jewelry, machinery, general chemical production, paint production and so on.