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Ores are natural rocks that contain valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, processed and sold at a profit. Most of the metals do not exist on their own as they are too reactive and form compounds with other elements and form ores. For Example, Aluminium Metal is extracted from Bauxite Ore. Minerals are natural homogeneous compounds originating from the earth with a solid chemical compound with well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form. Minerals can be obtained from their corresponding ores. Examples of minerals are zinc, iodine, chromium, copper, fluoride, and aluminium.
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Key Terms: Ores, Minerals, Gangue, Ore Genesis, Flux, Specific Gravity, Concentration of Ore, Metals, Elements
What are Ores and Minerals?
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Most metals present on the earth are too reactive to exist on their own in their free state, thus, they exist in a combined state with other elements as compounds called ores. An ore is actually a natural rock or sediment that has one or more valuable minerals.
A single ore deposit is an accumulation of many minerals within a single rock. An ore deposit consists of a large no of a particular ore type. Ore deposits are commonly named after the location they are discovered, for eg. Ratnagiri Mines located in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
Bauxite (Aluminium Ore)
A mineral can be defined as an element or chemical compound that is usually crystalline and has been formed as a result of geological processes.
Aluminium Mineral
Gangue is a non-desirable and non-economical part of the ore that cannot be avoided during the mining process. Valuable minerals are mixed with unwanted or valueless rocks and minerals and have to be mined along with the minerals.
Read More:
| Related Links | ||
|---|---|---|
| Occurrence and Extraction of Aluminium | Leaching Process | Extraction of Zinc |
| Difference between Rocks and Minerals | Occurrence of Metals | Mineral and Energy Resources |
Classification of Ores
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Ores are classified on the basis of ore genesis. It can be classified as
- Hydrothermal epigenetic deposits
- Granite related hydrothermal
- Magmatic deposits
- Volcanic-related deposits
- Metaphorically reworked deposits
- Carbonatite-alkaline igneous related
- Sedimentary deposits
- Hydrothermal deposits formed largely from basinal brines
- Astrobleme-related ores
Extraction of Ores and Minerals
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Mining is referred as the process of extracting metal ores that are buried deep underground. The metal ores are usually found in abundance at varying levels in the earth’s crust. We can use the minerals in the ground only after the extraction of metals from ores. Ores do not include only pure metal but they also consist of the impurities and earthly substances called gangue. Metallurgy is the process of removing metals from the ore.
There are three major steps in the extraction of metals and their isolation:
- Concentration of Ore
- Isolation of Metal from Concentrated Ore
- Purification of the Metal
Mining of Ore Deposits
Important Minerals and Their Ores
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Here are a few important minerals with their ores:
| Minerals | Ores |
|---|---|
| Aluminium | Bauxite |
| Iron | Haematite |
| Copper | Copper pyrites |
| Zinc | Calamine |
| Sodium | Chile Saltpeter |
| Calcium | Dolomite |
| Potassium | Nitre |
| Magnesium | Magnesite |
| Strontium | Silestone |
| Silver | Horn Silver |
Difference Between Ores and Minerals
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These are the major differences between Minerals and Ores:
| Minerals | Ores |
|---|---|
| Minerals are the naturally occurring substance present on the earth's surface | Ores are natural rocks that contain valuable minerals that can be extracted for various economical purposes. |
| All minerals are not ores. | All ores are minerals. |
| Minerals are basically the native forms in which metals exist. | Ores are mineral deposits. |
Things to Remember
- An ore can be defined as a deposit in the earth's crust comprising one or more valuable minerals.
- Minerals can be described as the naturally-occurring substances present in the earth’s crust. Minerals are extracted from ores.
- The three steps employed in the extraction of metals and their isolation are Concentration of Ore, Isolation of Metal from Concentrated Ore and Purification of the Metal.
- Metallurgy is the process of removing metals from the ore.
- Impurities of earthy elements like sand, rock, and limestone are called gangue and these impurities are separated from the metal to make it pure through a process called ore enrichment.
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Previous Year Questions
- The Ore Chromite Is… [WEBJEE 2013]
- Sulphide Ores Of Metals Are Usually Concentrated B… [NEET 2007]
- The Complex Formed When Al 2o 3 Is Leached From Ba… [KCET 2016]
- The Ore That Is Concentrated By Froth Floatation P… [KCET 2009]
- Solder Is An Alloy Of…
- The Iron Carbonate Ore Is...
- The Correct Statement Regarding The Given Ellingha… [JEE Main 2019]
- The Ore That Contains Both Iron And Copper Is… [JEE Main 2019]
- Which One Of The Following Ores Is Best Concentrat.. [JEE Main 2016]
- The Auto Reduction Process Is Not Used In The Meta… [JKCET 2016]
- Which Of The Following Is Not A Mineral Of Iron…. [COMEDK UGET 2010]
- All Ores Are Minerals While All Minerals Are Not O
- An Ore Contains 1 34 Of The Mineral Argentite Ag 2
- Mineral Of Aluminium That Does Not Contain Oxygen
- Minerals Associated With Redox Reactions Are
- The Chemical Composition Of Cryolite Mineral Is
- Addition Of Mineral Acid To An Aqueous Solution Of
- The Reaction Cr 2o 3 2al Al 2o 3 2cr G 421 Kj Is T
- The Process To Remove Unwanted Impurities From The
Sample Questions
Ques. What steps need to be followed during the extraction of ores? (5 Marks)
Ans. During the extraction of ores, it is made sure that the process is cheaper than the value of the mineral otherwise it would be a waste of time and investment to extract the mineral.
- Step 1- Exploration: Exploration is done to find the location of the ore and the extent of value.
- Step 2- Resource Estimation: Resource estimation is conducted to estimate the size and grade of ore deposits.
- Step 3- Pre-Feasibility Study: It is conducted to determine the economics of the ore deposit. This determines whether the investment is warranted and identifies the risk for further work.
- Step 4- Feasibility Study: A feasibility study is conducted to evaluate the technical and financial risks and to make a decision as to work or leave the project. This includes planning to evaluate the profit, metallurgy, and marketability of the ore concentrates.
- Step 5- Pre Requisite Developments: Development of mine plant and access to the ore body and development of equipment.
- Step 6- Follow Through: The operation of the mine in an active and fast sense.
- Step 7- Reclamation: Reclamation is done to make the land suitable for future use.
Ques. Name the following:
(A) What are some of the most valuable ores?
(B) What is the main ore of Iron?
(C) What is Slug? (3 Marks)
Ans. (A) Ores of Gold Silver and copper are the most valuable due to their high demand and rarity.
(B) Hematite is the main ore from which iron is obtained.
(C) Slug is the compound formed by the mixture of gangue and flux
Ques. What do you mean by the concentration of ore? (3 Marks)
Ans. The concentration of ore, also known as ore enrichment, is the process of removing gangue particles from ore in order to enhance the percentage of metal in the ore. Impurities of earthy elements like sand, rock, and limestone are called gangue and the separation of gangue from the desired metal is a very important step of metallurgy. Flux is added to the ore to remove the impurities. It forms a compound with Gangue called Slag.
Methods of Concentration of ore are- Gravity Separation, Magnetic Separation, Froth Flotation and Leaching Method.
Ques. What is Leaching? Explain the Crushing and Grinding method for the extraction of ores. (3 Marks)
Ans. In the leaching method, the ore dissolves in the chemical leaving the gangue behind and then the metal is extracted from the chemical solution. This method is used in the case of bauxite
Crushing and Grinding- This method is used to reduce the size of ore with each step and to remove impurities, crushing is generally performed in 3 stages- Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary with all stages size of the ore decreases and then Grinding is performed in 2 stages- Coarse and Fine Grinding.
Ques. What is the difference between minerals and ores? (3 Marks)
Ans. The differences between ores and minerals are as follows:
- Minerals are naturally occurring substances present on the earth's surface however Ores are natural rocks that contain valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit
- All ores are minerals but not all ores are minerals
- Minerals can exist natively without association with ores but ores are deposition of minerals they can not exist natively.
Ques. List down some uses of Iron and Copper. (3 Marks)
Ans. The uses of iron and copper are as follows:
Uses of Iron
- Cast Iron is the most important form of iron, it is used for casting stoves, railway sleepers, gutter pipes, etc.
- Wrought iron comes into use in making anchors, wires, bolts, chains and agricultural implements.
Uses of Copper
- Copper is used for making wires used in the electrical industry and for water and steam pipes.
- This element is also used in several alloys that are rather tougher than the metal itself, e.g., brass.
Ques. Explain the following:
(A) Gravity Separation
(B) Magnetic Separation
(C) Froth Flotation (3 Marks)
Ans. (A) Gravity Separation- All elements have their different specific gravity and by using this difference in specific gravity the ores are separated physically with the help of Force of Gravity.
(B) Magnetic Separation- This method of separation is used on the elements with their own natural magnetic properties. The powdered ore is carried over through a conveyor belt with a magnet on the ends all the economically desired elements stick to the magnet and the gangue is carried away for other use.
(C) Froth Flotation-This method is mostly used for sulphide ores due to the difference in the wetting properties of the gangue and ore. The sulphide ores get wet by oil and gangue with water.
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