Appendix the Economic Commodities
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Appendix The Economic Commodities This section provides a commodity cross-reference to ARSENIC the geological descriptions of the main text. The page (209-210) numbers given after most section headings (main entries are enumerated in italic type) are intended to direct the World 1979 production of arsenic trioxide 32 824 t. reader to the pages in which the geological descriptions Share of production: USSR 23%, France 22%, Sweden are found. The brief entries also give some idea of the 21%, Mexico 18%, Namibia 8%. These figures exclude world's annual production, and the five major countries the USA, whose production figures are withheld. Arse that share in this. Commodity production figures are nic compounds are used in herbicides and plant desic based on those of the Bureau of Mines (1980a,b) and cants, wood preservatives, mineral flotation agents, United Nations (1979). Other important references are glassware and pharmaceuticals. Arsenic is produced Brobst and Pratt (1973) and LeFond (1975). always as a by-product of some metal, and the principal There is no unified quantity of measure. Commodities ore minerals are arsenopyrite FeAsS, lOllingite FeAs2, may be traditionally quoted in metric tonnes (denoted smaltite CoAs2, niccolite NiAs, tennantite by t) ( = 2205 pounds), long tons ( = 2240 pounds) and (Cu,Fe)sAs2S7, enargite Cu3AsS4, proustite Ag3AsS3 short tons (2000 pounds). Precious metals are usually and relagar AsS (Gualtieri, 1973). quoted in troy ounces ( = 31.103 grams), diamonds in carats ( = 0.2 gram) and mercury in flasks ( = 76 pounds). The standard unit used throughout this book is the ASBESTOS metric tonne (tonne), which is equal to 1000 000 grams (1 Mg). World 1979 production 5 277 591 t. Share of produc This Appendix is not intended to be read by students tion: USSR 46%, Canada 29%, South Africa 7%, Zim using the book as a course textbook. It is a cross babwe 4%, China 4%. The main uses are in reference chapter for professional geologists. asbestos-cement pipes and asbestos-cement sheets. It is used for flooring, roofing, insulation, friction pro ducts, coatings and textiles, which are fire-resistant. Other uses include packing gaskets for bearings. Legis lation now prevents the use of asbestos in brake linings ANTIMONY because of the health hazard. Main mineral is chrysolite (145,186-188,210-212) (serpentine) Mg3(Sh05)(0H)4 (Shride, 19.73; Winson, 1975; Clifton, 1980a). World 1979 production 71998 t. Share of production: Bolivia 21%, China 17%, South Africa 16%, USSR 11%, Thailand 7%. Antimonian lead is used in BARITE starting-lighting-ignition batteries, but the newer (62-67) maintenance-free batteries do not use antimony. Antimonial-lead alloys are used in solder, ammunition, World 1979 production 7 039 227 t. Share of produc chemical pump pipes, roofing sheets, communication tion: USA 25%, USSR 8%, Ireland 6%, China 6%, equipment, anti-friction bearings and pewter alloys. An India 6%. Barite is primarily used for increasing the timony oxide is used in plastics as a stabilizer and specific gravity of oil-well and gas-well drilling muds. flame-retardant and in textiles. Antimony sulphides are Other uses include as a filler in paint, plastics, paper and used in fireworks and ammunition. Because of its milit rubber. It is used as a flux, oxidizer and decolourizer in ary uses, antimony is a strategic metal. The main ore glass manufacture and heavy concrete aggregates. With minerals are stibnite Sb2S3, tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)8Sb2S1 erite is more valuable in the chemical industry. The and jarnesonite Pb2Sb2S5 (Miller, 1973; Rowland and major minerals are barite BaS04 and witherite BaC03 Cammarota, 1980). (Brobst, 1973, 1975; Fulkerson, 1980). 318 Economic Deposits and their Tectonic Setting BAUXITE AND ALUMINIUM alloys, in metallurgical additives for aluminium, carbon (249-254) steel and malleable iron, in pearlescent cosmetic pig ments and in medicines. The largest use is in the phar Bauxite world 1979 production 86 814 000 t. Share of maceutical industry. Bismuth-cadmium alloy is used in production: Australia 32%, Jamaica 13%, Guinea selenium rectifiers. It is also used in bismuth-tellurium 14%, Surinam 6%, USSR 5%. Aluminium metal is electronic devices and as an accelerating agent in rubber made by extracting alumina from bauxite by the Bayer vulcanizing. There is no specific bismuth ore. It is usually process and by reducing the oxide electrolytically to recovered in refining processes from ores of lead and metal. Because of its resistance to oxidation, efficient copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and zinc. The main electrical conductivity and low price, it is widely used in mineral is bismuthinite Bi2S3, which occurs widely as an the manufacturing industry-mainly for aircraft (low accessory in ores of the above metals (Hasler et al., specific gravity of 2. 7), motor vehicles, electrical equip 1973; Carlin and Bascle, 1980). ment, machinery, drink cans, containers and a variety of home-consumer products. Although most bauxite ends up as metal, it is also used to make alumina abrasives. BITUMEN The conversion from bauxite to aluminium metal is carried out only where electricity is plentiful and cheap Asphalts refined from crude petroleum have almost (such as that from hydroelectric power). The principal completely replaced native-types. Asphalt cements are metals of bauxite are gibbsite Al(OHh, boehmite used as hot mixes to pavement roads, etc. Cut-back AlO(OH) and diaspore AlO(OH) (Patterson and Dyni, asphalts are used in road mixes. Oxidized asphalts are 1973; Shaffer, 1975; Baumgardner and Hough, 1980). used ii; undersealing and roofing. Slow-curing asphalts, or road oils, are used for dust control of unpaved roads. Emulsified asphalts are used in macadam road pave BENTONITE ments. Native asphalts occur as lakes or rock impregna tions. The largest is at La Brea, Trinidad; it is used for World 1979 production 5 847 419 t. Share of produc paving roads and waterproofing roofs. Rock asphalt tion: USA 62%, Greece 8%, Japan 7%, Italy 5%, occurs as bituminous sandstone or limestone and is used Hungary 2%. The major uses are as bleaching clay (oil for paving. The Athabaska tar sands m Canada are being refining, filtering, clarifying and decolourizing), drilling mined and processed to produce crude oil. Tar sands in mud, iron-ore pellitizing and foundry-sand bonding. In Albania, Romania and the USSR are also being ex addition it is used for filtering and clarifying wine and ploited (Cashion, 1973; Bostwick, 1975). waste water, and in pharmaceuticals. The main compo nent of bentonite is montmorillonite (0.5Ca,Na)o.T (Al,Mg,Fe )4(Si,Al)s02o( OH)4· nH20 (Hosterman, 1973; Patterson and Murray, 1975; Ampian, 1980). BORON MINERALS World 1979 production 2 632 330 t. Share of produc BERYLLIUM tion: USA 55%, Turkey 34%, USSR 8%, Argentina 2%, Chile 1%. Boron in the form of borates is used in (129) msulation products and glass fibre-reinforced plastics. World 1979 production (excluding USA) 2795 t. Share Glass wool is the main product, followed by textile of production (excluding USA): USSR 70%, Brazil grade glass fibres, and special borosilicate glasses. Eo 18%, Argentina 4%, Zimbabwe 3%, Rwanda 2%. Its rates are also used by the chemical industries. The major uses reflect its excellent thermal properties and high minerals are: borax (tineal) Na2B40 7·10H20, which is stiffness-to-weight ratio. The main consumption is in the primary world source, colemanite CazB60u·5HzO, beryllium-copper alloys, business machines and ap produced in the USA and Turkey, and Szaibelyite pliances, transportation and the communications indus MgB02(0H), the principal source in the USSR (Kistler tries. It is used in electronic systems to form connectors, and Smith, 1975; Ab~alom, 1980a). sockets, switches and temperature-pressure sensors. Beryllium oxide is used in lasers, microwave tubes and semi-conductors. Beryllium metal is used in satellites, BROMINE navigation instruments, space optics, nuclear devices and military aircraft brakes, and X-ray tube windows. World 1979 production 345 570 t. Share of production: USA 66%, Israel 13%, United Kingdom 7%, France The principal mineral is beryl Be3Al 2 (S~0 18 ) (Griffiths, 1973; Petkof, 1980a). 5%, USSR 4%. The largest use is in the manufacture of ethylene dibromide, which, together with tetraethyl lead, is used as an anti-knock additive in gasolene. BISMUTH Disinfectants and pharmaceuticals use the next largest amount of bromine; then come fire-retardants and fire (192) extinguishing agents. Insecticides and soil fumigants use World 1979 production 4273 t. Share of production: bromine. Calcium bromide is used in the drilling indus Australia 22%, Mexico 16%, Japan 15%, Peru 15%, try for high-density, solids-free completion of wells. Bolivia 11%. The principal uses are in low-melting Bromine occurs in nature in oil-well brines, which pro- Appendix 319 vide the major source in the USA. Israel obtains Canada 10%, Zambia 6%. The high electrical and ther bromine from the Dead Sea, and the United Kingdom mal conductivities of copper, its good resistance to cor from sea water. France obtains bromine from potash rosion, its good ductility and high strength mean that evaporate fields (Jensen, J.H., 1975; Absalom, 1980b). copper finds innumerable industrial applications. Cop per and its alloys can be joined by welding, brazing and odering. The four alloys brass, bronze, nickel-silver and CADMIUM cupronickel contain no less than 40% copper. About (228) 53% of copper is used in electrical applications, 16% in construction, 12% in industrial machinery and there of pro World 1979 smelter production 18 280 t. Share mainder in numerous other uses. The main· minerals are duction: USSR 16%, Japan 14%, USA 9%, Canada chalcopyrite CuFeS2, bornite Cu5FeS4, chalcocite Cu2S, 8%, Belgium 8%. Cadmium is used in the electroplating covellite CuS, enargite Cu3AsS4, cuprite Cu20, of fabricated steel products. It is also used to make malachite Cu2(0H)2(C03) and native copper Cu.