Classification, Distribution and Uses of Ores and Ore Deposits - Metals and Society: An Introduction to Economic Geology - page 19

Chapter 2
Classification, Distribution and Uses of Ores
and Ore Deposits
2.1 Classifications of Ores
The geological literature contains many schemes for classifying ore minerals. Some
have an economical basis linked to the end use of the metal or mineral that is
derived from the ore; others depend partially or entirely on geological factors.
2.1.1 Classifications Based on the Use of the Metal or Ore Mineral
In older topics it is common to find minerals classified, as in Table 2.1 , according to
the use that is made of the metal or mineral extracted from the ore. For example,
Table 2.2 , a classification of ore minerals, contains some of the minerals that are
mined for copper. We see that this metal is extracted from various types of sulfides
(e.g. covellite) and sulfosalts (tetrahedrite), as well as from carbonates (malachite),
oxides (cuprite) and in rare cases as a native metal. Copper is one of the “base
metals”, a term that refers to a group of common metals, dominated by the
transition elements, which are widely used in industry. Gold and platinum are
classed as “precious metals”. Other classes of ores comprise minerals that are
used in their natural state without refinement or extraction of a specific element.
Barite, a sulfate of the heavy element barium, is employed to increase the density of
the fluids (“muds”) used when drilling for oil. Uranium and coal are sources of
energy. Various types of hard minerals are used as abrasives; garnet and industrial
diamond are two examples, as is feldspar (next time you buy a tube of cheap
toothpaste, see if it contains “sodium-aluminium silicate”). This type of table
provides a useful link between the various types of ores and the use that society
makes of them.