MINERAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES

I. Minerals:

Homogenous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure is known as Minerals.

The earth is composed of mineral elements, either alone or in a myriad of combinations

called compounds. A mineral is composed of a single element or compound.

Importance of Minerals
Everything we use, eat and drink has minerals.

Economic development of people or nations can be vastly accelerated by the presence of

valuable minerals.

They make our life comfortable and convenient.

They are also responsible for all the biological processes on earth.

Different appearances and occurrence in various forms, in a wide range of colours, hardness,
forms lustre and density. As all minerals are formed from, a certain combination of elements
which depends upon the chemical and physical conditions under which the mineral forms.
The geologists use these properties to categorise minerals.

II. How minerals are different from rocks?

Rocks Minerals

1.

A rock is inorganic and a solid naturally-

formed substance without any chemical

composition or atomic structure.

A mineral is also a solid, inorganic, substance as

that of the rock which has a definite crystalline

structure as well as chemical composition.

2. Rock comprises minerals A Mineral does not comprise rocks

3. Rocks exist in the tiny form which is

also microscopic in nature.

These are said to be easily distinguishable in

nature.

4. These occur in solid form on the earth’s

crust. Minerals are said to occur as mineral deposits.

III. How a Geographer is different from a Geologist?

A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural

environment and human society.

A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter

that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it.

IV. MODE OF OCCURANCE:

Minerals are generally found in ores.

The term ore is used to describe an accumulation of any mineral mixed

with other elements.

OR

Ore is the rock from which the metal is extracted in a convenient and economical

way. Ore has a composition that is definite. Metals that occur naturally in the earth's

crust are called minerals. Minerals that can profitably be used to get the metal are called

ores.

There are five forms of how mineral can occur. They are as follows:

1. Veins and lodes. In igneous and metamorphic rocks minerals may occur
in the cracks, faults or joints by getting solidified in them. The smaller
occurrences are called veins and the larger lodes, e.g., metallic minerals
like tin, copper, zinc and lead, etc. are found in lodes and veins.
2. In sedimentary rocks minerals occur in beds or layers. They are formed
as a result of deposition, accumulation and concentration in horizontal
strata. Some sedimentary minerals are formed as a result of
evaporation, especially in arid regions, e.g., gypsum, potash and salt.
 3. Another mode of formation involves decomposition of surface rocks
and the removal of soluble contents, leaving a residual mass of
weathered material containing ores. Bauxite is formed this way.
4. Placer deposits. Certain minerals occur as alluvial deposits in sands of
valley floors and the base of hills, e.g., gold, silver, tin and platinum.
These are called placer deposits and contain minerals which are not
corroded by water.
5. Ocean waters contain vast quantities of minerals, e.g., common salt,
magnesium and bromide are largely derived from the ocean waters. The
ocean beds are rich in manganese nodules.

Four types of iron ores are:

Magnetite, Hematite, Siderite and Limonite.
Two best ores are:

 Magnetite—It is the finest iron ore available with upto 70% iron content.
It has excellent magnetic qualities and is especially valuable in the
electrical industry.
 Hematite—It is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of
quantity used. It has 50-60% iron content.
 Limonite: contains 40% to 60% iron.
 Siderite: contains 40% to 50% iron.

Major iron ore belts in India: Odisha – Jharkhand Belt; Durg – Bastar – Chandrapur Belt;
Bellary – Chitradurga – Chikmaglur – Tumkur Belt; Maharashtra – Goa Belt.

Well-known iron ore mines: Durg and Bastar districts of Chhattisgarh, Paschimi and Purbi
Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand, Sundargarh, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts of
Odisha, North Goa, Chikmagalur and Bellary district of Karnataka, Ratnagiri of Maharashtra

V. CLASSIFICATION OF MINERALS
 Metallic minerals are minerals which contain one or more metallic elements.

Metallic Minerals are further sub-divided into ferrous and non-ferrous.

a) Ferrous (containing iron) are:

 iron ore
 manganese ore
b) Non-ferrous (containing metals other than iron):
 Copper
 bauxite
 The non-metallic minerals do not contain metals. Limestone, mica and gypsum are
examples of such minerals.
 Non-metallic Minerals: They are limestone, nitrate, potash, mica, gypsum, coal,
petroleum, etc.

VI. METALLIC MINERALS

 FERROUS MINERALS:
A. IRON ORE:
 It’s the backbone of industrial development.
 Magnetite is the finest iron ore with very high content of iron up to 70%.
 Hematite is one of the most important industrial ore with an content of 50-6-% of
iron.
 Major states from where iron ore is obtained are Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
Karnataka.
 Major Iron Ore belts in India are as follows:
 Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt

(a) It lies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra and comprises of high grade hematite iron ore.
(b) Very high grade hematites are found in the famous Bilabial range of hills in the Bastar
district of Chhattisgarh.

(c) The range of hills comprises of 14 deposits of super high grade hematite iron ore.

(d) Iron ore from these mines is exported to Japan and South Korea via Visakhapatnam port.

 Odisha-Jharkhand belt :

(i) In Odisha, high grade hematite ore is found.

(ii) It is found in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts.

(iii) In the adjoining Singbhum district of Jharkhand, hematite iron ore is mined in Gua and
Noamundi.

 Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmaglur-Tumkur belt in Karnataka has large reserves of iron

ore.

(i) The Kudermukh mines located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka are a 100 per cent
export unit.

(ii) Kudremukh deposits are known to be one of the largest in the world.

(iii) The ore is transported as slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangalore

B. MANGANESE ORE :

The main reserves of manganese ore are found in Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Goa.

Two uses of manganese are:

(i) Manganese compounds are used in dry-cell batteries, matches, fireworks, etc.

(ii) Manganese is used as an alloying agent for aluminium.

(iii) It is used to manufacture bleaching powder, insecticides, paints.

 NON - FERROUS MINERALS:

Copper

It is used for making utensils, electric wires and alloys. Copper reserves are concentrated in
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Uses of copper :

(i) In manufacturing electrical cables.

(ii) In electronic industries.

(iii) In chemical industries.

The two leading copper producing states of India are Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Aluminium

Bauxite: It is an ore from which aluminium is obtained.

Aluminium is gaining importance because of its extreme lightness, good conductivity and
great malleability. It combines the strength of metals such as iron.

It is mainly found in Amarkantak Plateau, Maikal Hills and the plateau region of Bilaspur-
Katni. Koraput district in Odisha has large deposits. Odisha is the largest bauxite producing
state. Others are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

VII. NON-METALLIC MINERALS

Mica: It is used in electrical and electronic industries. Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and
Rajasthan are major producers.

Mica is the non-metallic mineral which can be split easily into thin sheets.

Mica is used in industries due to its excellent dielectric strength, low power loss factor,
insulating properties and resistance to high voltage.

Plastic industry uses mica as an extender and filler.

Mica is :

(i) Excellent dielectric in strength and has a low power loss factor.
(ii) It has insulating properties and resistance to high voltage.

(iii) Most indispensable mineral used in electric and electronic industries.

Limestone is composed of calcium carbonate or calcium and magnesium carbonates. It is

used in the cement industry, smelting of iron and in chemical industries. Reserves are found
in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and
Himachal Pradesh. Limestone (rock mineral) is the basic raw material for the cement industry
and essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace. It is found in sedimentary rocks of
most geological formations.

 Difference between metallic and non metallic minerals.

BASIS FOR NON-METALLIC

METALLIC MINERALS
COMPARISON MINERALS

Meaning Metallic minerals refers to Non-metallic minerals

the minerals that comprise of implies the minerals, that do
metals in raw form. not have minerals in them.

Found in Igneous and metamorphic Sedimentary rocks

rocks

New product New product can be obtained No new product is obtained

from it, on melting. from it, on melting.

Heat and electricity Good conductors of heat and Good insulators of heat and
electricity electricity

Malleability and These are malleable and These lack in malleability

ductility ductile. and ductility.