Unlimited

Resources from
Space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8X
vQNt26KI&t=14s
 Mineral
Resources
Learning Objectives

Identify the minerals important to

society
Describe how ore minerals are
found, mined and processed for
human use
Uses of Minerals
Agriculture
Potash (KCl)
 potassium salts
 used in fertilizers
 water retention in plants,
increase yields, disease
resistance
Agriculture
Nitre/niter (KNO3)
 mined for nitrogen
 also used in
fertilizers
 grow crops fast
 helps in
photosynthesis
Construction
Hematite
 most common ore
of iron
 used in making
sculptures and
jewelry
 processed to make
steel
Construction
Magnetite
 also known as
Lodestone
 magnetic property
 richest iron ore
 used to make
permanent magnets
 Decorative
Gold
 extremely
unreactive
 common jewelry
material
 adornment
attract wealth
and blessings
Decorative
Opal
 mineraloid
 oxides of silica
 color is caused by
the internal
reflection of light
inside the gem
Electronics
Tantalite
 primary source of
elements tantalum
and niobium
 processed to make
capacitors
 computers, GPS,
cameras and circuits
 Electronics
Silica
 any form of silicon
dioxide (SiO2)
 major constituent of
sand
 ideal semiconductor
 use to make
computer chip,
transistors
Transportation
Anatase
 titanium dioxide (TiO2)
 used in aerospace
industry for engine and
airframes
 lightweight and able to
handle extreme
temperature
 Transportation
Gibbsite - Al(OH)3
 aluminum hydroxide
 lightweight and durable
enough for flight
 resist corrosion
 paint is unnecessary
saving weight
 Medicine
Gypsum
 belongs to sulfate group
 high strength after drying
 plaster is highly resistant
to fire
 lesser cracks compared to
traditional cement
 Medicine
Ferrous Chromate
 hard and durable enough
to be used as a hip
replacement
 resistant to corrosion
 can be polished to shine
Energy Production
Coal – organic
sedimentary rock
 Release carbon
dioxide, a lot
 Most common fossil
fuel
 Easy to mine
Energy Production
Uraninite - UO2
 also known as pitchblende
 8000 times better than
coal
 relatively more dangerous
mining due to
radioactivity
Mining
Ore
 a naturally occurring
solid material from
which a metal or
valuable mineral can be
profitably extracted.
Ore Genesis
Processes
 Endogenous
 Magmatic
 Hydrothermal
 Metamorphic
 Exogenous
 Surficial Processes
Ore Classification
According to Formation
 Igneous Ore Deposit

 Sedimentary Ore Deposit

 Hydrothermal Ore Deposit

 Igneous Ore Deposits
 formed by crystallization of
magmatic melts in different
environment
 also called magmatic
deposits
 gold, chromium, titanium
and uranium
Hydrothermal Ore Deposit
 formed from cooling of
gaseous and liquid solutions
in cavities, fissures or pore
spaces of rocks
 essential conditions
 highly active fluids
 suitable pathways
 physico-chemical
environment
Sedimentary Ore Deposit
 commonly occurring as
layered formation
 formed through weathering
and erosion
 range from metallic to non-
metallic
 uranium limestones
 aluminum salts
Mining -process of extraction of valuable
minerals from the Earth

 Open-pit/surface Mining
 Underground Mining
 Underwater Mining
Surface Mining
Open pit mining
 deep hole on the surface
 relocate large quantity of
waste rocks
Strip mining
 plowing the ground by strips
 suitable for flat sites
Underground Mining
Room and Pillar
 most common supported pillar method
 shallow horizontal ore deposits
Long wall
 self-advancing mechanized shearers
 highly productive unsupported mining
Cut and Fill
 horizontal slices bottom up
 lower levels backfilled as a new platform
Underwater Mining
 is a mineral retrieval process
that takes place on the ocean
floor
 mining sites are usually around
large areas of active and
extinct hydrothermal vents at
1,400 to 3,700 metres below
the ocean’s surface
 Uses of Minerals
 Agriculture  Transportation
 Construction  Medicine
 Decorative  Energy
 Electronics Production
Activity 1
 Search for your own example of
minerals that are used in
different sectors of society.
 You will be creating a ppt of
minerals used in different sectors
of society.
Submission of Activity
 Your final work should be in
PDF format.