Ore Deposit Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are some examples of commodities that we extract from the Earth?
Minerals, rocks, hydrocarbon liquids, gases, groundwater, and geothermal energy.
“what is mined”
ore deposit
What is the economic definition of ore?
Ore is rock that may be, is hoped to be, will be, is, or has been mined; and from which something of value may be (or has been) extracted.
What types of commodities are included in the economic definition of ore deposits?
Ores of metals,
Ores of gemstones,
Ores of minerals used as feedstock for industrial chemicals,
Ores of minerals used in industrial products,
Rock used as aggregate or building stone,
Coal and oil shale
What are the major mined commodities by tonnage?
Coal and construction materials.
It refers to the total weight of a mineral resource within a particular deposit
Tonnage
Why are metals transported and traded worldwide?
Due to their high value and relatively low tonnage, making transportation and trade feasible.
How do metals compare to other mined commodities in terms of value?
Metals are low-tonnage, high-value products compared to many larger-tonnage mined commodities.
What is an ore body?
A mass of rock containing ore from which the valuable commodity will be extracted.
What is the difference between reserves and resources in the context of ore bodies?
Reserves: Ore that is economically feasible to mine with no legal or engineering impediments.
Resources: Ore that may potentially be extracted in the future.
What are the common methods for mining an ore body?
Open pit mining, underground mining, or a combination of both.
What is gangue in the context of ore?
Gangue refers to the unwanted minerals that are intermixed with ore minerals within an ore deposit
What is the purpose of milling in ore processing?
Milling is the process of breaking down ore into constituent minerals, which is a crucial step in separating the valuable ore minerals from the gangue.
What is flotation and how is it used in ore processing?
Flotation is a common method used to separate valuable minerals from gangue. It utilizes the differences in the surface properties of the minerals to selectively attach them to air bubbles, which then rise to the surface and are skimmed off.
Are most ore minerals of metals found in their native (pure) form?
No, most ore minerals of metals are found as compounds, meaning the metal is chemically bonded to other elements.
What is extractive metallurgy?
The field of study that encompasses the scientific and engineering principles involved in extracting metals from their ores.
What are lithophile elements?
Elements that combine with oxygen, dominantly in oxide and silicate minerals.
What are chalcophile elements?
Elements that combine with sulfur, dominantly in sulfide minerals.
What are siderophile elements?
Elements that occur as native metals or as alloys.
What are atmophile elements?
Elements forming elemental gases.
What type of chemical bonding is common in sulfide minerals?
Covalent bonding.
What type of chemical bonding is dominant in many oxides and silicate minerals?
Ionic bonding.
How do elemental abundances in the Solar System generally trend with increasing atomic number (Z)?
They decrease, especially strongly for elements with atomic numbers greater than iron (Fe, Z = 26).
