Mining Terminology
The following three terms are closely related -
MINES : An excavation made in the earth to extract minerals.
MINING : The activity, occupation and industry concerned with the extraction of minerals.
MINING ENGINEERING : The practice of applying engineering principles to the development, planning, operation , closure and reclamation of mines , distinguish various type of Mined minerals. (Click here)
Geologically one can distinguish the following mineral categories :
MINERALS : a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristics chemical composition, crystal form and physical properties.
ROCK : Any naturally formed aggregate of one or more type of mineral particles economic differences in the nature of mineral deposits is evident in the following terms:
ORE : A mineral deposit that has sufficient utility and value to be mined at a profit.
GANGUE : The value less minerals particles within an ore deposit that must be discarded.
WASTE : The material associated with an ore deposit that must be mined to get at the ore and must then be discarded. Gangue is a particular type of waste.
A further subdivision of the type of minerals are based on the industrial differentiation like fuels ,metals, and non metallic minerals.
The following are the most common terms used in this differentiation :
METALLIC ORES :
Those ores of the ferrous metals [ Iron , Manganese , Molybdenum and Tungsten ]
The base metals [Copper, Lead, Zinc and Tin]
The precious metals [Gold, Silver, the platinum group metals ] and
Radioactive minerals [ Uranium Thorium and radium]
NON METALLIC MINERALS (also known as industrial minerals) : The non fuel mineral ores that are not associated with the production of metals.
These include Phosphate, Potash, Halite, Sand, Gravels, limestone, Sulphur and many others.
FOSSIL FULES (also known as mineral fuels) : the organic mineral substances that can be utilised as fuels such as COAL(click here) , Petroleum, natural gas, coalbeds, methane, gilsonite and tar Sands.
It should be noted that the mining engineer is associated with the extraction of nearly all these mineral resources.
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