

Ore minerals tend to be concentrated in small, localized rock masses that form as a result of special geologic processes, and such local concentrations are called mineral deposits. Approximately 40 metals are made available through the mining and smelting of the minerals in which they occur.Ĭertain kinds of mineral can be smelted more readily than others these are commonly referred to as ore minerals. The term metal, however, is reserved for those chemical elements that possess two or more of the characteristic physical properties of metals (opacity, ductility, malleability, fusibility) and are also good conductors of heat and electricity. Mineral deposit, aggregate of a mineral in an unusually high concentration.Ībout half of the known chemical elements possess some metallic properties. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
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Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.More than half of the world’s titanium comes from placer mining of beach dunes and sands. In placer operations, the mined material is washed and sluiced to concentrate the heavier minerals. Placer mining is used to recover valuable minerals from sediments in present-day river channels, beach sands, or ancient stream deposits. In a surface mine, hard rock must be drilled and blasted, although some minerals are soft enough to mine without blasting. Many industrial minerals are also mined this way, as these ores are usually low in value and were deposited at or near the Earth’s surface. Lower grade metal ores found closer to the surface can be profitably mined using surface mining methods, which generally cost less than underground methods. Once at the surface, the material is sent to a mill to separate the ore from the waste rock. The rock is drilled and blasted, then moved to the surface by truck, belt conveyor, or elevator. Large tabular-shaped ore bodies or ore bodies lying more than 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface are generally mined underground as well. Higher-grade metallic ores found in veins deep under the Earth’s surface can be profitably mined using underground methods, which tend to be more expensive. The location and shape of the deposit, strength of the rock, ore grade, mining costs, and current market price of the commodity are some of the determining factors for selecting which mining method to use. The primary methods used to extract minerals from the ground are:
