According to National Academy of
Sciences, (2007); the unique properties of non-fuel minerals, mineral
products, metals, and alloys contribute to provision of food, shelter,
infrastructure, transportation, communications, health care, and defense. Every
year over 25,000 pounds (11.3 metric tons) of new non-fuel minerals must be
provided for every person in the United States to make the items that we use
every day.
In the modern age, developments in materials science
and engineering, mineral exploration, and processing continue to enable and
support new technologies such that the existence or function of common items
like cellular telephones, computers, automobiles, toothpaste, paint, or a
stable electrical supply could not be possible without non-fuel minerals, or
mineral products and materials. Minerals are thus fundamental inputs to the
domestic economy and daily life at scales ranging from the individual consumer
to entire manufacturing and engineering sectors.
Automobiles manufactured at the start of the 20th
century were composed of about five materials: wood, rubber, steel, glass, and
brass.
Today, a typical automobile may contain up to 39
different non-fuel minerals in various components, in addition to rubber,
plastic, and other organically based materials.
Copper, for example, has become the preferred metal
for electrical wiring in today’s automobiles. Circa 50 pounds of copper is used
in an average automobile today.
The new technology of hybrid electric cars requires
greater amounts of copper—circa 75 pounds in total, by some estimates. PGMs and
REs are other families of minerals fundamental to the construction and function
of automobile catalytic converters.
At present, no viable substitutes exist for these
minerals in this application, resulting essentially in a ‘no-build’ situation
for catalytic converters should PGM or RE supply be restricted.
other examples of mineral applications for
the propulsion
system and structural frames of airplanes (e.g. titanium),
cellular
telephones (e.g. tantalum),
liquid crystal
displays (e.g. indium),
computer chips (a broad mineral suite),
photovoltaic
cells (e.g. silicon, gallium, cadmium, selenium, tellurium,
indium), and rechargeable batteries
(e.g. lithium, REs, and nickel).
Minerals,
Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy, THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C. 2007, National
Academy of Sciences.
Minerals are critical to developing the technologies
that will propel economy, improve the quality of our lives.
The technologies that define innovation today all
depend on a growing number of minerals. For example, in the 1980s, computer chips were made with a palette
of 12 minerals. A decade later, 16 elements were used.
As the world’s
population grows, as developing countries embrace new technologies and erect
new infrastructure, and as products relying on greater combinations of minerals
come to market, demand for minerals is
growing.
Energy and Environmental Profile of the U.S. Mining
Industry-overview, Chapter 1 Mining Overview, http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/overview.pdf
Global Business Reports, Turkey Mining 2014, http://gbreports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Turkey_Mining2014-IE.pdf
www.mineralsmakelife.org,
Minerals Make Life,
As technology
advances, more and different metals are needed. (Zepf V, Reller A, Rennie C, Ashfield
M & Simmons J, BP, 2014).
From the smartphone that
keeps you connected, to the train you take to work, products from mining play a
vital role in modern life. Find out how mining helps the modern world function
and develop and innovate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI08IvBUtDk
The mining industry plays an important
role in all 50 states. As a supplier of coal,
metals, and industrial minerals to businesses, manufacturers, utilities, and
others, the mining industry is vital to
the well-being of communities across the country.
Environmental
Aspects of Mineral Processing
Mineral processing operations are generally done after
beneficiation and serve to change the concentrated mineral value into a more
useful chemical form. This is often done by using heat (e.g., smelting and
refining) to change the chemical composition of the mineral. Typically, beneficiation
wastes are earthen in character, whereas mineral processing wastes are derived
from melting.
Mining operations are often the leading
employers in the communities where they operate. Direct employment in the mineral areas selected for
this report is 210,530 people or 60 percent of total industry employment.
Across all categories of minerals, the mining industry directly employs over
355,000 people.
Energy and Environmental Profile of the U.S. Mining
Industry-overview, Chapter 1 Mining Overview, http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/overview.pdf
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