Mining-mineral beneficiation industries

Tribocorrosion leads to irreversible transformation of materials or of their functions because of the simultaneous mechanical and chemical/electrochemical interactions between surfaces in relative motion. Tribocorrosion degradation affects components in numerous industries such as mining, mineral processing, biomedical, automobile, food, nuclear, offshore, marine, oil and gas production, etc. However, it is found to be beneficial in chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of wafers in the electronics industry and in metal grinding or cutting in presence of aqueous emulsions. Hence, it is important to understand the interaction of mechanical wear and chemical/electrochemical processes with each other, either to prevent tribocorrosion or to use it effectively in applications such as CMP and metal grinding/cutting. 

Fluorine for industrial use is almost exclusively obtained from fluorite. There are many possible fluorite-ore types. It occurs as fissure-fill and manto-replaced types, and in pegmatites, residual/eluvial deposits, carbonates and phosphate deposits. It is a gangue mineral in many base metal deposits, but due to stringent trace metal requirements often can t be economically beneficiated to a saleable product. Most fluorite ores are selectively mined, and ore from some minor vein deposits is then upgraded to a saleable product by sorting. 

On a smaller scale of operations, there are some industrial wastes and mine tailings that are alkaline and potentially more reactive than virgin minerals towards carbon dioxide. These include pulverized fuel ash from coal-fired power stations. In this situation, development of a practical means to react the ash with some of the attendant carbon dioxide would be most beneficial. Indeed, this may prove to be the most expedient route to introducing the technology required for sequestration via mineral carbonation. 

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