Inorganic compounds, extractable classified

Diamond and Tuck classified the extractable inorganic compounds under six headings ... 

The branch of chemistry that deals with all other compounds is called inorganic chemistry, meaning not organic. Carbonates, cyanides, carbides, sulfides, and oxides of carbon are classified as inorganic compounds. Geologists call these compounds minerals. A mineral is an element or inorganic compound that is found in nature as solid crystals. Minerals usually are found mixed with other materials in ores. An ore is a material from which a mineral can be removed at a reasonable cost. In other words, the cost of extraction cannot approach or exceed the economic value of the mineral. 

Many insoluble compounds of the metals are found in the earth s crust. Solids that contain these compounds are the ores from which metals are extracted. Ores contain minerals, which are naturally occurring inorganic solid substances having definite chemical compositions and characteristic crystalline structures. These minerals occur in mixtures with relatively large amounts of gangue—sand, soil, rock, and other material. Soluble compounds are found dissolved in the sea or in salt beds in areas where large bodies of water have evaporated. Metal ores can be classified by the anions with which the metal ions are combined (Table 26-1 and Figure 26-1). 

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