CRIMSONpublishers http://www.crimsonpublishers.com Mini Review Aspects Min Miner Sci ISSN 2578-0255 Metals from Ores: An Introduction Fathi Habashi* Department of Mining, Laval University, Canada *Corresponding author: Fathi Habashi, Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada Submission: October 09, 2017; Published: December 11, 2017 Introduction of metallic lustre. Of these about 300 are used industrially in the chemical industry, in building materials, in fertilizers, as fuels, etc., chemical composition, constant physical properties, and a A mineral is a naturally occurring substance having a definite characteristic crystalline form. Ores are a mixture of minerals: they are processed to yield an industrial mineral or treated chemically and are known as the industrial minerals Figure 3. to yield a single or several metals. Ores that are generally processed for only a single metal are those of iron, aluminium, chromium, tin, mercury, manganese, tungsten, and some ores of copper. Gold ores may yield only gold, but silver is a common associate. Nickel ores are always associated with cobalt, while lead and zinc always occur together in ores. All other ores are complex yielding a number of metals. before being treated by chemical methods to recover the metals. Ores undergo a beneficiation process by physical methods and grinding then separation of the individual mineral by physical Figure 2: Metals and metalloids obtained from ores. Beneficiation processes involve liberation of minerals by crushing methods (gravity, magnetic, etc.) or physicochemical methods pyrometallurgical, and electrochemical methods. Metals and (flotation) Figure 1. Chemical methods involve hydrometallurgical, metalloids obtained from ores are shown in Figure 2. Figure 3: Classification of minerals. A metallic mineral may be used for the production of a metal, or after a minor treatment for the production of refractoriness Figure 1: Production of industrial minerals and metals of aluminium: 90% is used in the manufacture of the metal from ores. or pigments. For example Table 1. Bauxite, the main source Classification of Minerals and 10% in the manufacture of refractoriness, abrasives, and manufacturing certain refractoriness as well as chemicals for the chemicals. Chromate, the main mineral for chromium, is used for tanning industry. Magnetite is used for iron production and as a metallic. Metallic minerals are the chief raw materials for the black pigment. Zircon, the main zirconium mineral is used for the Minerals may be classified into two groups: metallic and non manufacture of metals. Non metallic minerals which constitute production of specialized refractoriness. Beryl, the main beryllium about 75% of all the minerals, are so-called because they are not mineral, when occurring in large transparent crystals, is a gemstone. used for the manufacture of metals and also because of their lack When a mineral is used for more than on purpose, then its grade Volume 1 - Issue - 1 Copyright © All rights are reserved by Fathi Habashi. 9 Aspects in Mining & Mineral Science Aspects Min Miner Sci and the impurities present are the decisive factors in its utilization An ore at least 75% MnO2 suitable for the manufacture of for metal production or otherwise. For example: Chromites ores batteries. An ore at least 80% MnO suitable for use as an oxidizing a high chromium content (minimum 68% chromium) and the 2 [1]. These are classified into three grades: Metallurgical Ore with agent in chemical processes or in the production of potassium chromium/iron ratio must not be less than 2.8/1, will be suitable permanganate and other manganese chemicals. for the manufacture of ferrochrome alloy or chromium metal. Pyrite and pyrrhotite which are iron sulphides are usually Table 1: Metallic minerals for other uses than metal production. considered as metallic minerals because of their metallic lustre but Mineral Metal Produced Non-metallic Use they are mainly evaluated for their sulphur and not for their iron content, they are used to make sulphuric acid. Few plants however, Bauxite Al Refractories process the remaining ferric oxide to extract traces of nonferrous Refractories, Chromite Cr Chemicals used for making iron. The presence of pyrite and pyrrhotite in metals contained in them; the purified ferric oxide may then be Magnetite Fe Pigment sulphide ores is undesirable and usually methods have to be found to remove them [2]. Zircon Zr Refractories Ilmenite is a source of titanium as well as iron. Although Beryl Be Gemstone titanium minerals are used for producing titanium metal, yet 99% of the tonnage is used for TiO pigment manufacture. Furthermore, Refractory Ore with a high aluminium oxide (the sum Cr O and 2 2 3 ilmenite reserves are far larger than those of rutile; ilmenite Al O is more than 59%) would be suitable for the manufacture 2 3 supplies about 85% of the world demand and retile the remaining of refractoriness. Chemical Low-grade chromites, that are those 15%. with high iron content, are mainly used for the manufacture of dichromatic needed for the electroplating and tanning industry While dolomite, (Mg,Ca)CO3, is used for producing metallic Table 2. magnesium and to some extent as a refractory, magnetite, MgCO3, is Table 2: Classification of chromite ores. mineral. One reason for that is that MgO prepared from magnetite used mainly as a refractory: hence it is classified as a non-metallic has a higher melting point than (Mg, Ca)O prepared from dolomite Grade Specifications Use hence more suitable as a refractory. 68% Cr minimum Metallic Production of ferrochrome alloy Metallurgical or chromium metal Table 4: Gives a list of the most important metallic minerals Cr/Fe ratio <2.8/1 classified according to chemical composition. Group Minerals Composition Refractory Cr2O3 + Al2O3 Manufacture of Refractories ≥58% Manufacture of dichromates Gold Au Chemical Low-grade ores for electroplating and tanning industry Silver Ag Table 3: Classification of manganese ores. Grade Specifications Use Electrum Au-Ag Manufacture of ferromanganese Platinum Metallurgical >40% Mn Pt, Ir, Os, Ru, Rh, Pd and special manganese alloys metals Native Metals Battery >75% MnO Manufacture of batteries 2 Copper Cu As oxidizing agent in chemical processes, potassium Awarite FeNi2 Chemical >80% MnO2 permanganate, and other manganese chemicals Josephinite FeNi3 with high manganese content (minimum 40% Mn) are suitable for Native Manganese ore classified as follows Table 3. Metallurgical Ore Hg the manufacture of ferromanganese and special manganese alloys. mercury Volume 1 - Issue - 1 How to cite this article: Fathi H. Metals from Ores: An Introduction. Aspects Min Miner Sci. 1(1). AMMS.000502. 2017. DOI: 10.31031/AMMS.2017.01.000502 10 Aspects in Mining & Mineral Science Aspects Min Miner Sci Beryllium Beryl 3BeO•Al O •6SiO Gibbsite Al(OH)3 2 3 2 Anhydrous Lithium Spodumene Li O•Al O •4SiO Aluminium Böhmite AlOOH 2 2 3 2 Zirconium Zircon ZrSiO Diaspore AlOOH 4 Cesium Pollucite 2Cs2O•2Al2O3•4SiO2•H2O Cuprite Cu2O Hydrated Copper Chrysocolla Cu3(OH)2•Si4O10•nH2O Tenorite CuO Copper Nickel Garnierite (Ni,Mg)3(OH)4•Si2O5•nH2O Malachite CuCO3•Cu(OH)2 Antimony Stibnite Sb2S3 Azurite 2CuCO3•Cu(OH)2 Realgar As4S4 Magnetite Fe3O4 Arsenic Orpiment As2S3 Hematite Fe2O3 Arsenopyrite FeAsS Iron Ilmenite Fe2O3•nH2O Cobalt Linnæite Co3S4 Goethite FeOOH Chalcocite Cu2S Oxides, FeCO Covellite CuS Hydroxides 3 and Digenite Cu S Magnesium Dolomite (Ca,Mg)CO 9 5 Carbonates 3 Copper Bornite Cu5FeS4 Pyrolusite MnO2 Chalcopyrite CuFeS2 Manganese Manganite Mn2O3•H2O Cubanite CuFe2S3 Hausmannite Mn O 3 4 Sulfides Enargite Cu3AsS4 Rare earths Bastnasite LnFCO3 (Ln=lanthanide) Pyrite FeS2 Tin Cassiterite SnO2 Iron Marcasite FeS2 Titanium Rutile TiO2 Pyrrhotite FeS Lead Galena PbS Pitchblende U3O8 Uranium Mercury Cinnabar HgS Uraninite UO2 Molybdenum Molybdenite MoS Zincite ZnO 2 Nickel Pentlandite (Fe,Ni)S Zinc Hydrozincite ZnCO3•2Zn(OH)2 Silver Argentite Ag2S Smithsonite ZnCO3 Zinc Sphalerite ZnS Chromium Chromite Cr2O3•FeO Monazite LnPO4 Columbite Nb O •(Fe,Mn)O Phosphate Rare earths 2 5 Xenotime LnPO Niobium 4 Pyrochlore Nb2O5•(Ca,Ba)O•NaF Lead Anglesite PbSO4 Complex Sulphate Tantalum Tantalite Ta 2O5•(Fe,Mn)O Aluminium Alunite KAl (SO ) (OH) Oxides 3 4 2 6 Titanium Ilmenite TiO2•FeO Telluride Gold Calaverite AuTe 2 Arsenide Cobalt Smaltite CoAs Scheelite WO3•CaO 2 Tungsten Wolframite WO3•FeO according to chemical composition of no technical importance Ln Table 4 Classification of the most important metallic minerals Silicates stands for lanthanide. Volume 1 - Issue - 1 How to cite this article: Fathi H. Metals from Ores: An Introduction. Aspects Min Miner Sci. 1(1). AMMS.000502. 2017. DOI: 10.31031/AMMS.2017.01.000502 11 Aspects in Mining & Mineral Science Aspects Min Miner Sci Native metals Figure 4: Museum samples of native metals. Native mercury of no technical importance. Table 5: Analysis of telluric and meteoric iron. Telluric % Meteoric % Nickel 0.5-4 5–20 Cobalt 0.1–0.4 0.5–0.7 Carbon 0.2–4.5 0.03–0.10 Basalt 5–10 nil Pyrolusite, MnO 2 Pitchblende, U3O8 Figure 5: Museum samples of common oxide minerals. Volume 1 - Issue - 1 How to cite this article: Fathi H. Metals from Ores: An Introduction. Aspects Min Miner Sci. 1(1). AMMS.000502. 2017. DOI: 10.31031/AMMS.2017.01.000502 12 Aspects in Mining & Mineral Science Aspects Min Miner Sci Figure 4 shows museum samples of native metals. Iron also carbon content, usually less than 0.7%. These were extracted from occurs in a rare form of large boulders 20 to 80 tonnes, which may the basalt by the natives by crushing and then cold-hammering the be mistaken for a meteorite, but because of its different analysis Table 5 absence of Widmanstätten structure characteristic of groves in bone and use them as knives [3]. collected metallic particles into coin-sized flakes to insert them into meteoric iron when a piece is polished, etched, and examined by the Oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates optical microscope, it is known as telluric iron, i.e., terrestrial iron.