We explain what metallic and non-metallic mineral resources are, their importance and origin. Also, types of mining.
What are mineral resources?
Mineral resources or mining resources are the compounds and substances of geological origin found in the Earth's crust. Once extracted, they can serve as raw material for numerous and very diverse industrial processes. These types of materials can be very different from each other, but have their extraction method in common: mining.
Mining is one of the oldest human activities. It consists of the search for valuable mineral resources underground, through excavation and the opening of tunnels or quarries to separate the sought elements from the earth's mass.
There were times of enormous mining fever in different parts of the world, such as the so-called American “gold rush”, or the massive extraction of copper in Europe and Asia during the Metal Age in Prehistory.
Mineral resources can be of two types, as we will see later: metallic and non-metallic, depending on the type of atoms that compose them. In both cases, they are known as menasthat is, sources of its compositional elements.
Origin of mineral resources
mineral resources generally have a geological origin that is, they are the result of the slow and intense changes suffered by the different types of rocks in the terrestrial strata, subjected to enormous conditions of pressure and temperature.
However, there are resources that are as old as the planet itself, and that have simply changed their presentation over the millennia. In fact, it is known that the core of our planet is composed mainly of iron and nickel, but in the outer layers it is possible to find numerous chemical elements making up different types of minerals.
metallic mineral resources
As its name indicates, this first type of mineral resources It consists of metallic elements associated or constituting its core. They have a significant number of properties traditionally associated with metal, such as shine, electrical conduction or magnetism.
Are the most abundant mineral resources on our planet but produced naturally at a very slow rate, so they are non-renewable resources.
Examples of this type of minerals are:
- The magnetite Composed of iron and other associated elements, famous for its ferromagnetic properties that allowed ancient humanity to discover magnetism.
- The galena Whose main element is lead, and it is one of the main sources of this element widely used in the manufacture of pipes, containers to contain ionizing radiation or pigments for paints.
- The native gold The most famous of metallic minerals, sought after for its enormous commercial value. It is mainly used in jewelry manufacturing.
- The bauxite A mineral composed mostly of aluminum, it is extremely abundant and also a soft rock.
Non-metallic mineral resources
Unlike the previous ones, these mineral resources are composed mostly of non-metallic chemical elements. Therefore, their properties are usually very different: they do not have shine, nor do they usually conduct electricity well, and they do not respond to magnetism.
There are exceptions, of course, but they also have other interesting properties that make them indispensable in numerous industries.
Examples of this type of minerals are:
- The pyrite. A mineral composed of sulfur and iron, whose appearance is very similar to gold, which is why it was nicknamed “fool's gold.” It is insoluble in water and combines metallic and non-metallic properties, depending on the concentration of iron present.
- The barite. Main barium ore, it is also composed of sulfur. It was discovered in 1800 and is an extremely common mineral in the world.
- The graphite. A carbon mineral in a practically pure state, shiny black in color, greasy to the touch and a good electrical conductor. It is the main resource for making pencils.
- The feldspar. Mineral formed by silicates of aluminum and calcium, sodium, potassium, barium or sometimes mixtures of these non-metallic elements. They constitute a very diverse group of rocks and are the most common on the entire surface of the planet, making up almost 60% of it.
Importance of mineral resources
It is difficult to think today of any product that lacks components of mineral origin. From the technology we use every day to the raw materials for ceramics, metallurgy and other similar industries, today practically everything around us has components extracted thanks to mining.
In addition, they are part of many energy resources that allow us to produce and consume electricity. So the extraction of mining resources, despite its ancient origin, continues to be a fundamental activity for humanity.
At the same time, it can be a dangerous industrial activity, especially from an environmental point of view: The ecological damage that mining leaves in its wake is often terrible and irreversible, with a tremendous impact on water and air, as well as on people's health.
Types of mining
mining consists of the extraction of minerals from the earth's crust which can be done in four different methods, giving rise to four types of mining:
- Surface mining It involves the open-air excavation of metallic and non-metallic materials, always located at depths no greater than 160 meters below the surface. It can be carried out in open-air quarries, in counterholes that are helped by gravity.
- Underground mining As its name indicates, it is carried out at great depths underground, through the construction of tunnels and conduits that go deep and allow scarce minerals to be recovered on the surface. This usually requires important engineering and mining architecture works.
- Mining by drilling wells Typical of the exploitation of oil or natural gas, it consists of opening wells through deep cylindrical ducts, to allow the desired substance to emerge, either by pressure or because it is replaced with other substances deep down.
- Underwater mining or dredging Since minerals also accumulate under water and are logically more difficult to recover, dredge mining was invented, which is used in shallow waters (maximum 65 meters below the surface), using dredgers with cutter heads and pipes. suction.
Continue with: Inexhaustible resources
References
- “Classification of mineral resources” on Wikipedia.
- “Mineral resources: metallic and non-metallic minerals. Extraction and use” in the Government of the Canary Islands.
- “Mining resources” at the Faculty of Exact Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina).
- “Mineral resources” in GLOOBAL.
- “Types of minerals” in the Ministry of Mining of Chile.
