Mineral Process Chemistry
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1 Principles of mineral process chemistry: a study guide
Chapter 1 Raw materials and the mineral industry
This chapter sets the scene by explaining the basis of the Special Study: the preparation of the solid resources of the Earth so that useful materials can be made from them.
You should know the four basic regions of the Earth from which materials are extracted and, in broad terms, what is obtained from them. You should notice that in figure 1.1 the word ‘Lithosphere’ is used whereas in section 1.1 it refers to ‘The Earth’s crust’. These do not mean quite the same thing; the crust is the upper part of the lithosphere and is the part in which all mining of solid mineral resources takes place.
Sections 1.2 and 1.3 contain some basic definitions, including some which are often confused. Makes sure you can explain the difference between the meanings of Minerals, Rocks, Ores and Ore-bodies. There is a brief, initial mention of Evaluation, a subject which is going to be developed later in Chapter 3.
There is a brief summary of the importance of the UK mineral industry in section 1.4. This is simply to reinforce the global nature of mining operations.
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updated: 01 March 2006
