Industrial Uses of Minerals

Compiled by the Fall, 2005 Geology 110 class (Introduction to Geology) at Carleton College.

Amphibole (Na,K)
0-1
Ca
2
(Mg,Fe,Al)
5
Al
2-0.5
Si
6-7.5
O
22
(OH)
2


Andalusite Al
2
SiO
5


Biotite K(Mg,Fe)
3
AlSi
3
O
10
(OH)
2


Muscovite and Biotite are used for potting soil (including that in one of my pots)

Calcite CaCO
3


Calcite: Calcite is mined primarily to make cement, be used as a flux in the
smelting of metallic ores, be used as a fertilizer, or used as a building stone
or construction material.

Calcite is used in medicine and toothpaste.

Limestone: Used as crushed stone in road construction and other construction;
for ballast in railcars; for the manufacture of cement; as a filter; to absorb
SO2 emissions at coal plants; to adjust pH in soil; and in animal feeds.

Calcite is an ingredient in animal feed, is used in constuction, as a dough
strengthener, in the glass industry, to manufacture paper in the paper
industry, as the interior/exterior faces of a building, in statues, and in
photography.

Chromite FeCr
2
O
4


Used in chrome plating.

Dolomite CaMg(CO
3
)
2


Fluorite CaF
2


Used in Toothpaste.

Garnet (Mg,Fe,Ca)
3
Al
2
Si
3
O
12


used as an abrasive, originally in sandpaper

Garnet is ground to a variety of sizes to be used as an abrasive.
Garnet is also used in sandpaper, sanding belts, discs, and strips. Today,
garnet is used as an abrasive blasting mineral for wataer filtration (jet
cutting) and to make abrasice powders.

Garnet is often ground up and used as an abrasive. For example, it is used for garnet sandpaper,
sanding belts, discs, and strips. Most is used as an abrasive blasting material, for water filtration,
in water jet cutting, and to make abrasive powders.

Garnet: Used for its abrasive properties, especially in the creation of
lenses.

Garnet is often used as an abrasive because of how hard it is. It can be
used as an abrasive blasting material in "water jet cutting," but has also been
used in more simple grinding tools such as sandpaper to finish metals and wood.
It is also a gem used in jewelry.

Garnet: The majority of garnet mining is used to make abrasive powders and act
as an abrasive blasting material for water filtration. However, It can also be
used to make sanding belts, discs and strips.

garnet - it is used to make abrasives such as sand paper and sand belts. Now
though, it is also used in a water filtration technique called water jet
cutting.

Garnet -- Because of its hardness (between 6 and 7.5 on the Moh's scale), and its lack of cleavage
(when it breaks it fractures into sharp irregular pieces), garnet is often used an abrasive mineral. It
can be ground into various sizes and used as a sandpaper, as well as in sanding belts, discs, and
strips. It also is widely used as an abrasive blasting material in water filtration, in a process called
water jet cutting. These uses are such a juxtaposition to the small amount of garnet that is pure and
flawless enough to be cut as gemstones!

Garnet is used as an abrasive and/or filtration material because of it's
hardness level and because it resists degredation.

Gypsum CaSO
4
2H
2
O

Gypsum is used in wallboard and plaster products. It is also used
to make Portland cement and has some agricultural applications. A small amount
of very pure gypsum is used in glass making.

Gypsum is used extensively in the production of Portland Cement for construction. Limestone is
first heated with clay and then ground down. Gypsum is then added to the mix and when the
powder is mixed with water, a reaction between the gypsum, water and other chemical constituents
in the Limestone create a hydrated cement that bonds the sand or aggregate together.

Gypsum: used in plaster of paris. Gypsum can be ground up and boiled and
becomes a fine powder (plaster of pairs). When water is added back to this
powder, the gypsum can be molded and return to its rock-like state.

Gypsum: Wall board, Plaster of paris

Gypsum is used on wallboards.

Gypsum is used as fake snow in Hollywood!
(http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/gypsummining.html)

Gypsum-- used as prefabricated wallboard, cement material and building
Plaster

Gypsum, like Halite is the result of evaporation of saltwater.
Gypsum is widely used in structures of all kinds; highways, bridges, buildings
of all types. In fact the average new home today contains approximately seven
tons of Gypsum. part of what makes Gypsum so useful in buildings is that is
releases water as temperature increases. So in a fire the water released by
the Gypsum in the wall will cool the structure and help minimize damage. Also,
when gypsum is mixed with water it undergoes an exothermic reaction and settles
in a very durable chemical structure. The ease of this process allows Gypsum
to be cast into the wide variety of structures previously mentioned.

Halite NaCl

Halite is used for table salt and road salt

Halite or as most people call it salt is used throughout the world as
a flavoring in food. Easily and profitably harvested from salty bodies of
water, their remnants and other places Halite is everywhere. Another important
aspect of Halite is its low hardness rating and cleavage patterns, both of
which help create a product that is easily packed and used.

Hematite Fe
2
O
3


Hematite is a common ore of iron because it contains about 70% iron. Once
mined, the iron from the hematite is then mixed with other elements in order to
make it into steel, the most common use of iron ore.
Source:
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/subcommittees/emr/usgsweb/descriptions/descIron.html

Processed hematite produces iron, which comes in many forms and is used in a variety of different
ways. In its powdered form, iron is used as a chemical catalyst and in magnets. Radioactive iron
has medicinal uses. Iron is also combined with other products to make steel, which is used in
thousands of products today, ranging from bridge construction to kitchen appliances.

Powdered hematite is often used as a pigment.
(http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/oxides/hematite/hematite.htm)

Hematite is mined, melted down, and used as an iron ore for various metal needs.

Kaolinite Al
2
Si
2
O
5
(OH)
4


Kaolinite is mostly used in the paper industry. It is a filler making the paper better for printing and
cheaper. And it coats the paper also making it better for printing, enhancing the colors. In the
ceramics industry, kaolinite is used to make the clay very white. Kaolinite, like the feldspars, is
also used as a filler in things like paints, rubber, plastics, adhesives, etc. It is used in some
industries as a source of alumina.
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:rtNJAFE4BAoJ:www.mineralsuk.com/britmin/mpfkaolin.p
df+industrial+application+of+kaolinite&hl=en&client=firefox-a
**Talc is also used for many of the same industrial applications as kaolinite:
http://www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go336/ross/

Kaolinite: Since it is extremely fine, it can easily be mixed with water and transported. It is used in
ceramics, medicine, bricks, paper, toothpaste, cosmetics, and as a food additive. It is also used in a
spray applied to fruits and vegetables to deter insect damage.

Kaolinite: Used as a paper coating, especially as a cement or protective
covering.

Kayolin: Used as a filler material in paper; as a paper coating; as a filler in
rubber, plastic, paint and adhesives, and ceramics.

Kyanite Al
2
SiO
5


used to make bricks, more durable than traditional clay bricks

Muscovite KAl
2
AlSi
3
O
10
(OH)
2


used as an insulator in electrical appliances

The name actually comes from "muscovy glass" because of the russian practice of using thin
transparent sheets of this mica for windows. Micas generally have a high dielectric strength and
are therefore great insulators used in electrical and radio equipment.

I found that mica, or muscovite, has many different uses depending on its
condition, whether that be ground or sheet. Ground mica is often used in paint
because of its light weight and flat shape. It holds the paint together,
protecting the paint film and keeping it from becoming chalky or shrinking. It
also prevents the paint from weather and water. In class we talked about using
?muds? for drilling oil to keep pressure from closing the holes, and I
found that ground mica is also used in that ?mud.?
http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photomica.html

Muscovite (Mica): Mica posseses great resistance to the passage of
electricity and heat and is therefore used as an electronic insulator.

Micas have their main industrial use in the field of electronics. It is used as an insulating material
since is does not transfer heat or energy very well. Mica is being used more and more in areas of
very high heat levels such as rockets and missiles. Scrap, ground mica can be used to make heat-
insulating bricks, as a filler for rubbers, and sometimes in the plant and lubricant and plastic
industries. It is also used in making roofing material, wallpaper, lamp shades, etc.
http://www.mineralszone.com/minerals/mica.html

Muscovite Mica: With its low coefficient of expansion, its heat resisting properties make it a
common demand to be used in production of fireproofing and insulating materials. Also can be
used as a lubricant.

Muscovite is ground up and mixed in with paints to give them a sparkle. It also
has electrical and heat resistance properties which make it good for insulating
electrical components.

Muscovite is used as a heat and electrical insulator.

Muscovite: Its first known use was in Russia as a glass. It was used as a glass
because of its transparent layers that peel off in thin sheets. It was also
used in furnace doors, and more modernly is used for heat and electrical
insulation. Muscovite can be ground up for use in wallpaper, glitter, and
makeup, fireproofing agents, fillers, and a lubricant in oils.

Muscovite is used in electronic insulators, as well as in paints and drilling
muds.

Muscovite- Because of it's excellent cleavage structure, muscovite is often ground into flakes or
scales, and then used in electric insulators. It is also ground in to paints, used as a joint
cement,dusting agent, in well-drilling muds, and in plastics, roofing, rubber, and welding rods.

Olivine (Mg,Fe)
2
SiO
4


Orthoclase KAlSi
3
O
8
and Plagioclase (Na,Ca)(Al,Si)
4
O
8


Used in glassmaking. It helps lower the melting point of quartz,
which is used to make glass. This makes glass less visous and easier/cheaper
to produce.

Feldspar is a leading ingredient in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Specifically, feldspar
and other minerals are used in glazing pottery where they are applied as a powder or slurry and
then melted onto the pot as a glass when fired in a kiln. Ground feldspar is also, apparently, the
leading ingredient of the Bon Ami line of household cleaners.

Feldspar is used in the ceramic and glass industry as a flux. A flux is a
material which brings the melting temperature of another material down. It?s
useful, therefore, because then glass can be worked with at lower temperatures,
which makes it easier and safer to produce and shape. Feldspar is also used in
soap, fertilizer, and as a filler in paper.
http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photofelds.html

Feldspars lower the melting point of quartz helping to control the viscosity of glass. It also lowers
glass melting point, lowering production costs as well. Feldspars are also used in ceramics to mix
with the clay and make the final piece stronger and better. Feldspars are used as fillers in things
like paint, rubber, and plastics and find their places is many other household items such as
tableware, flooring, and giftware. Other industrial uses include latex foam, glaze, mild abrasives,
welding electrodes, and road aggregates, among others.
http://www.ima-na.org/about_industrial_minerals/feldspar.asp

Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase): When it is combined with kaolin and quartz it is used to
manufacture porcelain, sometimes used for high-tension electrical insulators and dental products.
If finely ground it is used as a scouring powder.

Feldspar is used in the production of ceramics and glass and is used in making
bonding materials such as cements. The porcelain in our toilets is a good
example of hot feldspar action!

Feldspar is used primarily to strengthen ceramic products. Because it does not have a well-defined
melting point, it is stable enough to be used with the high temperatures needed for cementing the
melted clays and quartz to make the ceramics. Feldspar is also used as filler for items such as
rubber, plastics and paint, again because of its chemical stability.

Feldspar: A rock-forming mineral; industrially important in glass and
ceramic industries; patter and enamelware; soaps; bond for abrasive wheels;
cements and u; insulating compositions; fertilizer; tarred roofing materials;
and as a sizing, or filler, in textiles and paper.

Feldspar has a host of different industrial applications. For example, it is used to make dinnerware
and bathroom and building tiles. It's used as a flux (a material that lowers the melting temperature
of another material) in ceramics and glass production. It is also important in making soaps,
abrasives, bond for abrasive wheels, cements, and concretes, insulating compositions, fertilizer,
poultry grit, tarred roofing materials, and as a filler in textiles and paper.
Source: www.mii.org/commonminerals.html

Feldspar is used in the glass and ceramic industries, as well as in cements, concretes and in textiles
and paper.

Feldspar: Feldspar is an important ingredient when manufacturing glass. It
reduces the melting point of quartz and aids in controlling viscosity. Feldspar
is also an important ingredient in the manufacture of ceramics. Feldspars
improve strength, toughness, and durability. Feldspars are also used in paint,
mild abrasives, urethane, steel production, latex foam, and road aggregate.

One of the many uses of Feldspar is in the production of glass and ceramics.
It is used as a flux to lower the melting temperature of, in some cases,
glass.

Feldspar is used in soaps, bonding materials, cements, roofing materials and
fertilizer.

Feldspar - pottery, soaps, enamelware, abrasives, bonds for abrasive wheels,
cements and concretes, insulating compositions, fertilizer, poultry grit,
tarred roofing materials, and sizers in paper and textiles. (I think it is
quite remarkable the different uses of this mineral from pottery to soap to tar
to fertlizer. It's pretty cool.)

Quartz SiO
2


One use of quartz is to control frequency in some radios. It's also
used in timers in electronic equiptments, such as computers.

Quartz can be used in various electronic appliances such as cell phones and
computers, along with pressure gauges and oscillators because it is
piezoelectric, which means that it is polarized under pressure. This same
thing happens by changing the temperature, which is called pyroelectric.
Source: http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photoqtz.html

Quartz is used in electronic appliances to produce even wave frequencies for items such as watches
and radio and television tuners. Thin plates of high quality quartz are installed and pressure is
applied when in use. This action generates the small electrical current needed to perform the task.

Quartz, because of its piezoelectric properties, can be used in the creation of pressure gauges,
oscillators, resonators, and wave stabilizers, and is also used in the manufacture of glass, paints,
abrasives, refractories and precision instruments.

"Crystal Healers use clear Quartz in rituals meant to treat convulsions,
diarrhea, dizziness, exposure to radiation, general pain, hemorrhages,
headaches, hypochondria and kidney diseases."
(http://www.jewelrysupplier.com/2_quartz/quartz_healing.htm)

Quartz: Used for electronic timing (it vibrates at a very specific
frequency when a current is passed through it)

The various types of Quartz can be use simply as a gemstone in jewelry, one
of which is amethyst, my "birthstone." Many types of quartz are piezoelectric,
meaning that when pressure if applied to the crystal a positive charge is
created at one end and a negative charge at the other. This makes quartz
useful for many electronics applications such as in computers and cell phones.

Quartz- The most notable common use of Quartz is in watches. Because of the
durable chemical nature of Quartz it is used in watches to keep time.
Electrical currents applied to the quartz cause it to resonate. It is the
nature of the quartz crystal that makes it such a consistent and subtle
resonator and thus an effective and reliable timekeeper. Quartz is also easily
made in the laboratory further adding to its appeal.

quartz - used in pressure gauges, resonators, presicion instruments, paints,
abrasives, and oscillators.

Quartz is used in clocks and watches, in microprocessor chips in personal
computers, and in telecommunications equipment.

Sylvite KCl

Sylvite: Used as an ingredient in fertilizer, especially for citrus fruits,
which are chloride sensitive; as a drill mud additive; as a water softener; a
de-icer; and a substitute for salt.

Talc Mg
3
Si
4
O
10
(OH)
2


Talc has several applications. One is for use in sewage treatment
plants, where it binds to bacteria, causing them to be precipitated from the
water. The byproduct of this is fertilizer. Talc is also used to make talcum
powder, among other things.

Talc is used as an ingredient in ceramics, paper, paint, roofing,
plastics, cosmetics, talcum, and baby powder.

I was surprised to learn that talc is used in counter tops for laboratory
benches and also for electrical switchboard because it is very resistant to
usually destructive forces, such as heat, acid, and electricity. It seems odd
that it?s used for its strength against these conditions when it?s
hardness, or physical strength that way, is pretty weak.
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/talc/talc.htm

Talc: is used in paints and coatings. Talc helps control the glossiness of
the paint as well as prevent running and improve smoothness.

Talc has a wide variety of uses. It is often used to make countertops because
it is heat-resistant and acid-resistant. It is also ground up and mixed in
paints, ceramics, and cosmetics.
Source: http://www.mii.org/Minerals/phototalc.html

Talc: Baby powder, soapstone, gymnastics to grasp bars

Talc is used to make baby powder. (gymnasts use it to help with their grip on
the bars) It has a good resistance to heat and electricity and acids which
makes it ideal for stuff in the lab such as countertops and electrical
switchboards. Hooray!

Talc is also ground up and is used as an ingredient in ceramics, paper, paint, roofing, plastics,
cosmetics, talcum powder, baby powders, and in making rubber.

Ground talc is used in ceramics, paper, paint, roofing, plastics, cosmetics, talcum and baby
powders, and in the construction of rubber and plastics.

Talc: Talc is used in many household and commercial products such as: paper
products (coating and gloss), plastics (smooth greasy feel), ceramics (glazing
and ?whiteness?), paints (improves durability and stain resistance),
cosmetics (body talc, perfumes), detergents, pharmaceuticals (to remove
impurities such as iron oxide, dolomite, carbon, magnesium and carbonate
minerals), and in animal feed (prevents loss and absorption of water).

Talc: Talc is used as an ingredient in ceramics, paper, paint, roofing,
plastics, cosmetics, talcum and baby powders. It is also used to make rubber
and plastics.

Talc -- Because of its softness, its whiteness, its chemical inertness, and the fact that its platelets
slide on each easily, talc has many industrial applications. It is used in factories to be powdered on
conveyor belts to keep them from sticking. It also is used a an animal feed wrap; talc sets up a
natural barrier that stops moisture from escaping from or entering the feed treed. Talc is often
added to colored pencils to give them a supple and smooth characteristic. It makes the pencil
softer than the paper, but still providing a smooth, regular effect of the drawing tool.