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ME551/GEO551 Geology of Industrial Minerals Spring 2003

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ME551/GEO551 Geology of Industrial Minerals Spring 2003 ME551/GEO551 Geology of Industrial Minerals Spring 2012 Commodities, Part 4 Magnesium, Perlite, nitrogen, phosphate, potash, pumice, zeolites Schedule • Zeolite mine-Field trip, Bureau parking lot, Friday April 13 at 8 AM (diatomite deposit, zeolite mine, clay deposit), lunch, water, field book • Field trip report will be due next week April 20 • Web site http://www.stcloudmining.com/ • New Mexico Geological Society, Guidebook, 45th Field Conference, pp. 311-314. • http://www.dalecoresources.com/s/SierraKaolin .asp • NMGS Spring meeting April 27, Macey Center • Commodity and project presentations due May 7, report due May 10 Magnesium Magnesium—introduction Greek word for a district in Thessaly called Magnesia Considered a critical mineral Magnesium—introduction • In 1618 a farmer at Epsom in England attempted to give his cows water from a well. • This they refused to drink because of the water's bitter taste. • However the farmer noticed that the water seemed to heal scratches and rashes. • The fame of Epsom salts spread. Magnesium—introduction •8th most abundant element • 2% of crust • Magnesite or magnesia • Light • silvery-white • ignites upon heating in air (highly reactive) • 1/3 lighter than Al Magnesium—properties Magnesium—uses • flashlight photography • flares and pyrotechnics, including incendiary bombs • improves the mechanical, fabrication, and welding characteristics of aluminum • hydroxide (milk of magnesia), chloride, sulfate (Epsom salts), and citrate are used in medicine • refractory purposes such as brick and liners in furnaces and converter Magnesium compounds— uses • Refractories, 69% • agricultural, chemical, construction, environmental, and industrial applications, 31% Magnesium metal—uses • constituent of aluminum-base alloys, 53% • castings and wrought products, 30% • Desulfurization of iron and steel, 12% • reducing agent in nonferrous metals production, 1% Magnesium—production Magnesium—production Magnesium—production Magnesium—production Magnesium—geology • brines, wells, and sea water Magnesite http://www.webmineral.com/specimens/Magnesite.shtml Dolomite http://209.51.193.54/minerals/... Brucite http://209.51.193.54/minerals/... Olivine http://209.51.193.54/ minerals/... Cautions • Magnesium metal and alloys are highly flammable in their pure form when molten, as a powder, or in ribbon form. – DO NOT USE WATER or CO2 – USE CLASS D • bright white light produced by burning magnesium can permanently damage the retinas of the eyes Perlite Perlite • What is perlite? Perlite—introduction • Volcanic siliceous glass • rhyolite composition • commercial perlite must expand • vitreous, pearly luster • inert • 2-5% water allows it to expand similar to popcorn above 871 degrees C • gray, white, black, but when expanded- white http://www.perlite.net/ Perlite—uses • What are the uses of perlite? Perlite—uses • building construction products, 69% • horticultural aggregate,12% • filter aid, 8% • fillers, 7% • other, 4% Perlite—production • New Mexico leading state Perlite—production • New Mexico leading state • Turkey, Greece, Italy, Russia, Australia, South Africa Perlite—substitutions • Diatomite • expanded clay and shale • pumice • slag • vermiculite Perlite—geology • Volcanic fields • Grants perlite quarry (U.S. Gypsum) Nitrogen and nitrates Nitrogen—introduction •Gas • 78.1% of the atmosphere • essential element of life • obtained by liquefaction and fractional distillation • inert Nitrogen as ammonia—uses • What are uses of ammonia? Nitrogen as ammonia—uses • Fertilizer (Haber process), 89% – nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) fertilizers • nitric acid (Ostwald process) • produce plastics • synthetic fibers and resins • explosives • annealing stainless steel and other steel mill products • numerous other chemical compounds. Nitrogen as gas or liquid— uses • Produce ammonia • gas mixtures • refrigerant both for the immersion freezing of food products and for transportation of foods • build up pressure in wells to force crude oil upward Nitrogen as ammonia— production Nitrogen as ammonia— production Nitrogen as ammonia—production Nitrogen as ammonia— transportation • refrigerated barge • rail • pipeline •truck Nitrogen—geology • Natural gas fields Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana • atmosphere • ammonia produced when coal is distilled (coke ovens) Nitrates—geology • Guano deposits in caves • Chile natural sodium nitrate (unique) – caliche rich in nitrate – driest desert in world 0.04 inch/yr allowed slow buildup of salines since the Miocene – NaCl, SO4, borates, iodine – Guggenheim process FORMS • Mixed conglomerate cemented by salts rch in nitrates • Salts filling fractures in basement rock • Slats filling interstitial space between rock debris at the surface Phosphate Phosphate—introduction • essential element for plant and animal nutrition • Greek word "phosphoros" meaning "bringer of light" • discovered in 1669 by Hennig Brand, who prepared it from urine Phosphate—uses • phosphoric acid and superphosphoric acid, 90% – fertilizers – animal feed supplements • phosphorus compounds – industrial – food-additive • safety matches, pyrotechnics, incendiary shells, smoke bombs, tracer bullets • pesticides • bone-ash, calcium phosphate, is used to produce fine chinaware Phosphate—production • Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, Utah Phosphate—production • Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, Utah Phosphate—substitutions • Bone phosphate of lime Phosphate—geology • Marine sedimentary deposits – phosphorites Precambrian to Recent, on every continent – beds few cm thick of grains of cryptocrystalline carbonate fluorapatite (collophane, francolite) • ocean • carbonatites Phosphate—mineralogy • Apatite Ca10(PO4,CO3)6(F,OH,Cl)2 • wavellite Al3(PO4)2(OH)3.5H2O • crandallite CaAL3(PO4)2(OH)5.H2O • millisite ((Na, K)CaAl6(PO4)4)(OH)9.3H2O Phosphate—environmental considerations • Uranium is a by-product • radioactive • radon Potash Potash • What are the major potash minerals? Potash—introduction • K not found naturally as an element • compounds • 7th most abundant element • end of the 19th century, potash was made from hardwood trees Potassium—properties • most reactive and electropositive of metals •soft • rapidly oxidizes in air • catches fire spontaneously on water Potassium—forms • potassium chloride (KCl, sylvite), • potassium sulfate (K2SO4 or sulfate of potash (SOP)), ussually manufactured • magnesium sulfate [K2SO4C2MgSO4, langbeinite • Muriate of potash (MOP), mixture of KCl and NaCl • potassium nitrate (KNO3 or saltpeter) • sodium-potassium nitrate (NaNO3 + KNO3 or Chilean saltpeter Potash—uses • What are the major use of potash? Potash—uses • Fertilizers • alloy of sodium and potassium (NaK) is used as a heat-transfer medium • soap (lye) • oil-well drilling muds • metal electroplating • snow and ice melting • water softening Potash—uses • glass for television and computer monitor tube production • alkaline batteries • food products • pharmaceutical preparations • photography • some fire extinguishers • animal feed supplements • catalyst for synthetic rubber manufacture Potash—production • New Mexico leading state Potash—production • New Mexico leading state Potash—transportation • Railroad • ships •truck Potash—geology • Evaporate deposits • brines – Great Salt Lake Underground operations at IMC potash mine, Carlsbad. Potash ore is processed by flotation, heavy media separation, dissolution- recrystallization, and washing. http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2012/03/two-mines- proposed-for-holbrook-potash.html http://www.icpotash.com Pumice and pumicite Pumice and pumicite • What is pumice and pumicite? Pumice and pumicite— introduction • light colored, frothy volcanic rock • lava that is full of gas • floats on water Pumice—uses • building blocks, 67% • abrasives, concrete, horticulture, landscaping, stone-washing laundries, and other applications, 33% Pumice—production Pumice—production Pumice—geology • Volcanic fields Las Conchas pumice quarry, Sandoval County http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/pumice.html http://www.mineralminers.com/images/pumice/mins/pumm101.jpg http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/P glossary/scoria.html • What is the difference between scoria and pumice? Zeolites What is a zeolite? • A zeolite is a crystalline hydrated aluminosilicate whose framework structure encloses cavities (or pores) occupied by cations and water molecules, both of which have considerable freedom of movement, permitting ion exchange and reversible dehydration. This definition places it in the class of materials known as "molecular sieves." • The pores in dehydrated zeolite are 6 Å in size, while those of a typical silica gel average about 50 Å, and activated carbon averages 105 Å. Source of definition=http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an20/an20-7/an20-702.html Zeolite facts • Tektosilicates, networks of SiO4 tetrahedrons with some Al substituting for Si • Strong bonds support framework • Hydrated aluminosilicates with particularly open frameworks of (Si,Al)04 tetrahedrons • Open cavities contain cations (Ca, K, Na, Ba) • Cations balance negative charge of framework • Ions are easily exchanged, move freely through framework • Remain stable after losing water from structure • Heating causes water loss at a continuous rate • Form by chemical reaction between volcanic glass and saline water Zeolite Physical Properties • Soft to moderately hard, H=4-5 •Low density • Transparent to translucent • 48 natural Zeolites • Over 120 synthetic Zeolites • Industrially speaking, the term zeolite includes natural silicate zeolites,
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