Rock and Mineral Uses
Sadly, people of this World seldom stop to think about Rocks and minerals. There are many thousands of known minerals and rocks. In this article we will thought you about very interesting Rocks and minerals and how a few of them affect your everyday life. Based on current consumption, it is estimated that you and every other person in this world will use more than a million of pounds of minerals, rocks and metals during your lifetime. Here are just a few of the minerals, rocks and metals that affect your lives every day. For your better understanding we should introduce you with some of them.
Aluminium
This is the most abundant metal element in the crust of the Earth. This is used in making containers, in the manufacture of light parts for air planes and automobiles, in the construction of building and in almost every modern thing found in the home. It is also the common ingredient in many deodorants related to underarm.
Antimony
This is a native metal element and is mostly extracted from stibnite. It is used as an alloy which is responsible for hardening of lead, usually in the manufacture of battery storage. It is also used in collapsible tubes, bearing metal, solder, type metal, and sheet, foil and pipes. Antimony salts are used in the textile and rubber industries, in glass making and medicines.
Bauxite
This is the mineral ore of aluminium which is used in the manufacture of cans, electronic and sporting equipment, air planes and home appliances.
Barium
Barium is used in the rubber and paper industries, as an extender or filler in cloth, plastics products and ink, in radiography, as a de oxidiser agent for copper, in spark plug alloys and in making of white pigment which is very expensive.
Beryllium
This is used in the manufacture of light and in the nuclear industry, used in the aircraft industry because it is very strong alloy. Its salts are used in X-ray tubes, in fluorescent lamps and as a deoxidizer in metallurgy of bronze. Aquamarine and Emerald are “beryl” gemstones.
Chromite
This is used to tan much of the leather used in making belts, gloves shoes, purses and jackets.
Cobalt
This is used in making super alloys for chemicals (catalysts, paint dryers and magnetic coatings), permanent magnets, jet engines and cemented carbides for cutting things.
Tantalite – Columbite Group
Both are the principal ores of tantalum and niobium, used primarily as an additive in making of super alloys and steel; used as electromagnetic superconductors, in metallurgy for heat-resistant alloys, stainless steel or rust-proofing.
Copper
Chalcopyrite, malachite and Azurite are ores of copper which are used in the manufacturing of coins, brass and bronze, cooking utensils, jewelry and pigments. Most of them are used in wiring of electrical appliances, stereos, TV’s, telephones, computers, satellites, aircraft, residential wiring, automobiles and plumbing etc. Malachite also gives shades of green and used in making cosmetics and ancient people used malachite for making paint used on their faces, clothing and cave walls.
Feldspar
This is a mineral which is rock forming. It is important in ceramics, glass, soaps and enamelware industries. It is also used as bonding material for fertiliser, abrasive wheels, cements, tarred roofing materials and as a filler or sizing in paper and textiles.
Fluorite
This is used as the source of the “fluoride” in toothpaste and in the production of (HFL) hydrofluoric acid. It is used in the ceramics, electroplating, pottery, plastics and optical industries.
Gilsonite
This is used in the manufacture of varnishes and paints, wire insulation, asphalt, printing ink, construction materials, in foundry casting and oil well drilling.
Gold
This is used in medicine and dentistry; in art and jewelry; in coins and medallions. Because of its malleability we can make gold wire that is thinner than a human hair and it is used in intricate circuitry for electronic and scientific instruments. It is also applicable in the electroplating industry.
Gypsum
One of primary uses of gypsums is in the manufacture of “wallboard” or sheetrock.
Halite (Salt)
Generally recognized as salt, it is used in animal and human diet, food preservation and food seasoning. It is used to make soda ash, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, caustic soda, chlorine and metallic sodium, metallurgy, in ceramic glazes, , in mineral waters, the curing of hides, home water softeners, soap. Single crystals can be used for ultraviolet, spectroscopy and infrared transmission.
Kaolinite
This is a white clay and very fine used as filler in many things, for coating pages in newspapers and magazines to save ink from running, and as an abrasive and whitener in toothpaste.
Limestone
This is used as a component of cement which is useful in the construction of things from homes and sidewalks to skyscrapers and bridges and as a dimension stone in buildings.
Lithium
Lithium compounds are used in glass and ceramics; in the production of primary aluminum; in the manufacture of greases and lubricants; vitamin A synthesis; rocket propellants; batteries, silver solder; and medicine.
Magnetite
An ore of iron which is used in making steel, kitchen appliances, nails, furniture, automobiles, tools, bridges, construction equipment, buildings, highway construction, shipbuilding, trains, manufacturing machinery and railroads etc.
Marble
Used as dimensional stone in building construction and for making decorative items such as, floor, pillars, table tops and bath tiles etc.
Perlite
Perlite is used for horticulture applications, as filler, in roof insulation boards and in filter aids.
Phosphate
Phosphate rock is used as elemental phosphorus, for feed additives for livestock, to produce phosphoric acid for ammoniated phosphate fertilizers and a variety of phosphate chemicals for home consumers and industrial
Potash
Potash is a carbonate of potassium used in the chemical industry, in medicines, as a fertilizer and to produce decorative color effects on bronze, brass and nickel.
Pyrite
It is used in the manufacturing of sulfur dioxide, sulfur and sulfuric acid. Pressed pyrite’s pellets are used in the recovery process of iron, cobalt, copper, gold and nickel and used to make inexpensive jewelry.
Rare Earth Elements
Rare Earth Elements such as lanthanum, praseodymium, cerium, promethium, neodymium, samarium, europium, terbium, gadolinium, holmium, dysprosium, erbium, ytterbium, thulium and lutetium are primarily used as catalysts in the processes of petroleum fluid cracking.
Silver
It is use in photography, silver is also used in jewelry, chemistry and electronics because of its very high conductivity and as currency in the form of coins generally as an alloy, it is also used in making mirrors, as dishes and tea sets, plating for flatware, and in medical, dental and scientific equipment.
Soda Ash
Trona and Soda ash are both sodium carbonate. Soda ash is used in the manufacture of fiberglass, glass containers, flat glass and specialty glass. It is used in the paper making, in medicine, as a food additive, in liquid detergents and in cleaning compounds.
Sulfur
Used in the manufacturing of fertilizer which are necessary to grow our food, explosives, chemicals, in the manufacturing of sulfuric acid, film, tires, in papermaking, paint, detergents, matches, dyes and drugs.
Trona
This is a useful sodium carbonate which is used in toothpaste making, in paper and glass making, in detergents and soaps, in the manufacturing of a number of chemicals and in the treatment of domestic used water. One of its very authentic applications is its use in baking powder and baking soda, a necessary ingredient in making cookies, bread, cakes and most other baked product.
Tungsten
This is present in all the items constructed of steel that require the uniqueness and hardness characteristic provided by tungsten-steel alloys. It is applied on construction, metalworking and electrical equipment; as filaments in light bulbs, enamels and paints, in transportation equipment, and as components of dyes and for coloring glass.
Vanadium
This is used in metal alloys for applications related to aerospace.
Zeolites
It has some unique neutralizing and absorption characteristics. They are used for odor control and in fish hatcheries for removal of ammonia from the water to protect the fishes.
Zinc
Zinc is mostly Copper pennies. One of the uses of zinc is as a protective coating of steel used to manufacture products such as bumpers and automobile frames to prevent oxidation (rusting) and corrosion.