8/14/2014 KALYAN SIR: MINERALS

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MINERALS

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WORLD MINERALS:

ü The study of minerals is called Mineralogy.

ü A mineral occurs naturally.

ü This is a solid chemical substance.

ü It has a crystalline structure.

ü It has specific physical properties.

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ü (Rock is different from mineral. A rock is an aggregate of one or more minerals).

ü Industrial minerals are those minerals that are commercially valuable.

ALUMINUM:

ü The principle ore of Aluminum is Bauxite.

What is Ore?

This is the raw material of anymineral

ü Australia, Jamaica, Guinea, Brazil, USA, Russia are the chief producers of Bauxite.

ü Production of Aluminum from bauxite is a highly energy consuming process.

ü Australia, USA and Russia are the chief producers of Aluminum.

COAL:

ü This is a very important energy mineral.

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ü The main types of coal are

v Anthracite

v Bituminous

v Lignite

v Peat

ü Anthracite has the highest (85%) carbon content.

ü Peat has the lowest (35%) carbon content.

ü Bituminous is most widely occurring type of coal.

ü China is the leading producer of coal.

ü USA has world’s largest recoverable coal reserves.

ü Japan is the largest importer of Coal.

COPPER:

ü Chile, Peru, USA, Canada are the main producers.

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ü Most of the copper is obtained from copper oxides and sulphides.

ü Chile is the largest producer of copper in the World.

ü Where is Chile?

Look at South America map. Chile occupying a narrowand long strip on the west coast of South America. Chilehas Andes Mountains towards East and the Pacific Oceantowards West.

DIAMONDS:

ü The leading producers are Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Republic of Congo and

Australia.

ü This is also the hardest substance.

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ü This is an allotrope of Carbon.

ü What is allotropy?

v Allotropy is the property of some chemical elements to exist in 2 or more different

molecular forms known as allotropes of these elements.

v Diamond and graphite are two allotropes of carbon. These are the pure forms of the

same element carbon that differ in structure.

ü The diamond has highest hardness.

ü In India Madhya Pradesh is the only state that produces diamonds. Majhgawan area

of Panna district in Madhya Pradesh is the only diamond producing mine in India.

GOLD:

ü This is a noble metal.

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ü South Africa, USA, Australia, Canada are the leading producers.

ü Witwatersrand in South Africa is the most important gold mining region.

ü Gold is the most malleable and ductile metal known.

· Ductility means ability to be stretched.

· Malleability means ability to form a thin

sheet by hammering or rolling.

· Ductility and malleability are the aspects of

plasticity.

ü Gold is represented by the symbol Au.

ü Kolar Gold fields in Bangarpet Taluk of Kolar district of Karnataka from where the

gold is extracted.

IRON ORE:

ü This is the basic raw material for the iron and steel industry.

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ü It is one of the most widely occurring minerals.

ü Iron ore represents almost 95% of all metal used per year.

ü Leading producers are China, Brazil, Australia, India and Russia.

ü China is the largest producer of iron ore in the country.

Commercial ores of iron are:

v Magnetite (More than 60%

iron)

v Haematite (50% to 65%

iron)

v Limonite (less than 50% of

iron)

v Siderite.

SILVER:

ü The most important ore of silver is argentine.

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ü This is also a precious metal.

ü Mexico, Australia, Chile are the chief producers.

ü Mexico is the largest producer in the World.

MANGANESE:

ü Manganese is used for making steel.

ü The main ores are pyrolusite and psilomelane.

ü China, South Africa, Australia, Ukraine are the leading producers of Manganese.

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LEAD:

ü Galena is the chief ore of lead.

ü The chemical symbol of lead is Pb (Plumbum).

ü Lead is a soft and malleable material.

ü This occurs in association with Zinc.

ü Australia, China, USA, Peru are the chief producers.

MERCURY:

ü This occurs in liquid state.

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ü Spain, China and Italy are the chief producers.

ü The chemical symbol of Mercury is Hg.

ü Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and

pressure. (Bromine is also liquid under these conditions).

ü Mercury occurs in the form of cinnabar ore.

MICA:

ü This is a non metallic mineral.

ü Mica is a bad conductor of heat and electricity.

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ü India and USA are the leading producers.

OIL:

ü This is commonly called petroleum.

ü This is also called crude oil.

ü This is a mixture of combustible hydro-carbons.

ü This is used to produce gasoline (petrol) and other petroleum based products from crude

oil.

ü Saudi Arabia, USA, Russia, Iran are the chief producers.

ü Saudi Arabia is the largest producer.

ü USA is the largest importer.

NATURAL GAS:

ü This is also a mixture of carbon and other combustible gases that are called hydro-

carbons.

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ü Russia, USA, Canada are the chief producers.

ü Russia is the leading exporter.

ü USA is the leading importer.

ü Natural gas primarily consists of Methane.

ü Before natural gas is used as fuel except methane all other material are removed.

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