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Economic Minerals

When looking at the various resources in use today, many once existed as rock. Materials we use everyday was at one time a part of the ground.

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Economic Minerals

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  1. When looking at the various resources in use today, many once existed as rock. Materials we use everyday was at one time a part of the ground. Some minerals are used as they are found in theground and require no further processing. For example, gemstones,sand, gravel, and salt (halite). Most minerals must be processed before they areused. For example, iron and aluminum only exist in mineral compounds and must be processed to extract the metal from the metallic ore. A mineral depositis a volume of rock enriched in one or more minerals. In this sense amineral refers to a useful material, a definition that is different from the way we defined amineral earlier in this course. Economic Minerals Reference: Pages 52 - 55

  2. Because such things as extraction costs, manpower costs, and energy costs vary, what determines if a mineral deposit is economically viable also varies. In general, the higher the concentration of the substance, themore economical it is to mine. Since economics is what controls if a deposit is profitable to mine, different minerals require different concentrations to beprofitable. But, the concentration that can be economically mined changes due to economicconditions such as demand for the substance and the cost of extraction. Thus, we define an oreas a mineral deposit from which one ormore valuable substances can be extracted economically. Economic Minerals

  3. For every substance we can determine the concentration necessary in a mineral deposit forprofitable mining. By dividing this economical concentration by the average crustal abundancefor that substance, we can determine a value called the concentration factor.The table belowlists average crustal abundances and concentration factors for some important materials. Economic Minerals

  4. Newfoundland and Labrador contains a variety of ore minerals and have resulted in the development of many mines in the past and present. An example of an economic mineral is Gold. Gold prices vary on a daily basis. When gold prices are high, old abandoned minesre-open, when the price drops, gold mines close. The cost of labor is currently so high inthe U.S. that few gold mines can operate profitably, but in third world countries wherelabor costs are lower, gold mines that have ore concentrations well below those found inthe U.S. can operate with a profit. For Example: Advocate Mines and Nugget Pond, in Baie Verte. IOCC and wabush Mines in Labrador. Economic Minerals

  5. Resourcesin which metals such as copper, iron, gold, uranium and zinc can be recovered by smelting and other chemical processes. Economic Minerals Mineral Resources can be divided into two groups: 1) Metallic Mineral Resources

  6. Resourcesthat are used for their physical and chemical properties rather than for the elements they contain. Economic Minerals Mineral Resources can be divided into two groups: 2) Non-Metallic Mineral Resources

  7. Economic Minerals

  8. Sample Problem What is the main mineral used in making plaster? (A) barite(B) graphite(C) gypsum(D) pyrite In which location of Newfoundland and Labrador would an ore deposit containing nickel, copper, and cobalt be found? (A) Baie Verte (B) Labrador City (C) Buchans (D) Voisey’s Bay Which best describes an ore mineral?(A) composed entirely of iron (B) contains many different varieties of useful elements(C) contains useful elements that can be profitably mined(D) large deposit

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