Industrial rocks

Ore is metalliferous rock that can be mined and processed at a profit. Although a broader definition includes nonmetallic rocks like rock salt and gypsum, most geologists classify these materials as industrial rocks and minerals. 

Industrial rocks and minerals—Rocks of economic value exclusive of metallic ores, mineral fuels, and gems. 

Bates, R.L. (i960) Geology of the Industrial Rocks and Minerals. Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York. BateMANN, A.M. (1950) Economic Mineral Deposits. New York. 

RCT are designed to successfully solve a whole number of tasks in nuclear power when testing fuel elements, in aviation and space industry when testing construction materials, nozzles and engine units, turbine blades and parts, in electromechanical industry-cables switching elements, electric motors in defense sphere- charges, equipment in prospecting for research of rock distribution and detection of precious stones in samples. 

Abrasive appHcations for industrial diamonds include thek use in rock drilling, as tools for dressing and tmeing abrasive wheels, in polishing and cutting operations (as a loose powder), and as abrasive grits in bonded wheels and coated abrasive products. 

There are numerous variations of the wet process, but all involve an initial step in which the ore is solubilized in sulfuric acid, or, in a few special instances, in some other acid. Because of this requirement for sulfuric acid, it is obvious that sulfur is a raw material of considerable importance to the fertilizer industry. The acid—rock reaction results in formation of phosphoric acid and the precipitation of calcium sulfate. The second principal step in the wet processes is filtration to separate the phosphoric acid from the precipitated calcium sulfate. Wet-process phosphoric acid (WPA) is much less pure than electric furnace acid, but for most fertilizer production the impurities, such as iron, aluminum, and magnesium, are not objectionable and actually contribute to improved physical condition of the finished fertilizer (35). Impurities also furnish some micronutrient fertilizer elements. 

Resources of Sulfur. In most of the technologies employed to convert phosphate rock to phosphate fertilizer, sulfur, in the form of sulfuric acid, is vital. Treatment of rock with sulfuric acid is the procedure for producing ordinary superphosphate fertilizer, and treatment of rock using a higher proportion of sulfuric acid is the first step in the production of phosphoric acid, a production intermediate for most other phosphate fertilizers. Over 1.8 tons of sulfur is consumed by the world fertilizer industry for each ton of fertilizer phosphoms produced, ie, 0.8 t of sulfur for each ton of total 13.7 X 10 t of sulfur consumed in the United States for all purposes in 1991, 60% was for the production of phosphate fertilizers (109). Worldwide the percentage was probably even higher. 

Flotation or froth flotation is a physicochemical property-based separation process. It is widely utilised in the area of mineral processing also known as ore dressing and mineral beneftciation for mineral concentration. In addition to the mining and metallurgical industries, flotation also finds appHcations in sewage treatment, water purification, bitumen recovery from tar sands, and coal desulfurization. Nearly one biUion tons of ore are treated by this process aimuaHy in the world. Phosphate rock, precious metals, lead, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and tin-containing ores as well as coal are treated routinely by this process some flotation plants treat 200,000 tons of ore per day (see Mineral recovery and processing). Various aspects of flotation theory and practice have been treated in books and reviews (1 9). 

On average, fluorine is about as abundant as chlorine in the accessible surface of the earth including oceans. The continental cmst averages about 650 ppm fluorine. Igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks all show abundances in the range of 200 to 1000 ppm. As of 1993, fluorspar was still the principal source of fluorine for industry. 

J. Wicken and L. Duncan, "Magnesite and Related Minerals," in Industrial Minerals and Rocks, 5th ed., American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, New York, 1983. 

Ores which comprise a variety of minerals are, as a rule, heterogeneous. An ore body is usually named for the most important mineral (s) in the rock, referred to as value minerals, mineral values, or simply values. Some minerals contain metals, which are extracted by concentration and smelting. Other minerals, such as diamond, asbestos (qv), quartz (see Silicon COMPOUNDS), feldspars, micas (see Mica), gypsum, soda, mirabillite, clays (qv), etc, maybe used either as found, with some or no pretreatment, or as stock materials for industrial compounds or building materials (qv) (3). 

Effect on Oxide—Water Interfaces. The adsorption (qv) of ions at clay mineral and rock surfaces is an important step in natural and industrial processes. SiUcates are adsorbed on oxides to a far greater extent than would be predicted from their concentrations (66). This adsorption maximum at a given pH value is independent of ionic strength, and maximum adsorption occurs at a pH value near the piC of orthosiUcate. The pH values of maximum adsorption of weak acid anions and the piC values of their conjugate acids are correlated. This indicates that the presence of both the acid and its conjugate base is required for adsorption. The adsorption of sihcate species is far greater at lower pH than simple acid—base equihbria would predict. 

Agriculture is the largest industry for sulfur consumption. Historically, the production of phosphate fertilizers has driven the sulfur market. Phosphate fertilizers account for approximately 60% of the sulfur consumed globally. Thus, although sulfur is an important plant nutrient in itself, its greatest use in the fertilizer industry is as sulfuric acid, which is needed to break down the chemical and physical stmcture of phosphate rock to make the phosphate content more available to plant life. Other mineral acids, as well as high temperatures, also have the abiUty to achieve this result. Because of market price and availabiUty, sulfuric acid is the most economic method. About 90% of sulfur used in the fertilizer industry is for the production of phosphate fertilizers. Based on this technology, the phosphate fertilizer industry is expected to continue to depend on sulfur and sulfuric acid as a raw material. 

Industrial Minerals and Rocks, Society of Mining Engineers, Littleton, Colo., 1994, pp. 1049—1069. 

Large amounts of tar or pitch by-products are produced by industrial processes. The distillation of cmde petroleum (qv) yields a pitch-like residue termed bitumen or asphalt (qv). In the United States, these terms are interchangeable, but in Europe the term asphalt is generally restricted to naturally occurring rock or lake asphalt, whereas the residual product of cmde-od distillation is termed bitumen. Although these are important industrial materials produced in millions of metric tons annually, they are not included herein (see Asphalt Petroleum, products). 

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