Greenland Minerals Contain a Large Collection of the Rarest Minerals

More and more large energy corporations are starting to take notice of the large potential of Greenland minerals. Currently, there are numerous exploration projects underway that are aimed at identifying the most valuable deposits of rare elements. The most successful Greenland minerals deposits discovered up to this point have been found to contain large quantities of various rare elements such as the highly sought after uranium, sodium fluoride, and numerous others. As Greenland energy supplies have become a top interest for this country, new development plans are created that have the aim of creating a Greenland energy plan that will, together with the mineral mining industry, be at the base of the country's future economy.

Considered to be a fully stable geopolitical region, the country is planning to increase the development of its vast mineral resources and energy capabilities that have long been underexplored. The special geography of this country provides a great opportunity for Greenland minerals mining companies because the most valuable deposits are uncovered by ice and actually provide transects over a high variety of geological deposits. This country has always been perceived as being very remote and an unsuitable destination for many projects related to tourism and other fields. Many government agencies have successfully created a very high awareness for all potential investors interested in investing in this country. Any downsides regarding logistics are greatly outweighed by this country's immense potential.

Another great advantage that companies active in this sector is the actual location of this country. Its strategic placement leads experts to believing that it will soon become the number one source for the large North American market and the European markets. In order to further add to the potential of Greenland minerals and come to the aid of large scale mining operations, governmental agencies are currently developing plans to increase Greenland energy potential through the expanding of the hydroelectric capacity. Greenland minerals resources are considered to be some of few remaining natural resource hot spots at a global level. The country's economy is known to always have been dependant on fish exports. Tourism also plays an important role, but since it is only viable during short time periods each year and because of the high travel costs it is quite limited.

With a constant decline witnessed in fish exports, the country's main efforts are directed towards enhancing its Greenland energy infrastructure and developing its Greenland minerals potential. The demand for Greenland minerals and precious metals is continuously increasing as new precious metals mines are being commissioned and new large scale mining projects are constantly being developed. Currently, the largest multi rare elements deposit is located near the south-west tip of Greenland, at Kvanefjeld. Because of the large variety of Greenland minerals found in Kvanfjeld and the large potential of the Kvanfjeld, it is expected to become the major contributor to the country's economy, and also one of the main international mining zone

Aluminum - Facts Behind the Metal

A metallic element with symbol Al, aluminum is the 3rd most plentiful element of Earth's crust, behind that of oxygen and silicon. The metal has strong affinity towards oxygen and hence is not found in the elemental form but in combined states, such as silicates or oxides.

Bauxite is the main mineral ore of aluminum, which is abundantly available in tropical areas, such as - Africa, the West Indies, South America and Australia. Bauxite contains all types of impurities - mainly metals, such as iron - but comprises of 45 % to 60 % aluminum oxide, or alumina.

In its metallic form, aluminum metal does not occur naturally. It occurs only in combination with other minerals in the form of oxide or silicate compounds that constitute about 8% of earth's crust.

According to estimates, about 29 million tons of aluminum is required to meet the global demand every year. Of this total 29 million tons of total aluminum, around 22 million tons is new aluminum and 7 million tons is obtained by recycling the aluminum scrap. About 25% of the total amount of aluminum used across the world is recycled material.

Fact - 50% of the aluminum cans used today in the US are recycled.

According to estimates since 1972 around 16 million tons of aluminum cans have been recycled. These 785.6 billion aluminum cans if placed end-to-end could stretch to the moon more than 249 times.

Production of Aluminum

Production of aluminum is a two stage process that comprises of various intermediate steps. In the first stage, different mechanical and chemical stages are used to purify the bauxite and recover the alumina with the help of "Bayer Process".

Once the alumina - aluminum oxide trihydrate - is retrieved, it can be electrolytically reduced (transformed through electrochemical means) into metallic aluminum.

Some Facts -

• Aluminum can be very strong, light (less than 1/3rd of the specific gravity of copper, brass or steel), ductile, and malleable.
• The metal is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity.
• Polished aluminum has the highest reflectivity of any material - even mirror glass.
• The metal can be rolled, cast or extruded into an infinite array of shapes.
• As a packaging material, aluminum as unique barrier characteristics. It resists corrosion and can be recycled again and again, without any loss of quality or properties.
• The metal can be mixed with small, often minute, quantities of other materials, such as - copper, zinc, silicon, iron, magnesium, tin, titanium, lithium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, nickel, and others to create a variety of alloys with very different physical characteristics.
• Aluminum metal is so widely used in todays' modern world that it is very difficult to imaging a world without it. The amazing, unique properties of this fundamental metal give it an extensive array of possible applications, including - transport, packaging, electrical application, medicine, and construction of homes and furniture.

Geology And Mineral Wealth

Mineral wealth is the natural occurrence of minerals, rock, or chemical compounds that might be economically exploited. It includes oil, natural gas, coal, salt, and ores.

People's need of large amounts of coal, gas, and oil is continually increasing, so that the growing population may maintain its high living standards. The question is, how long the required supply will last? What will happen, when the resources are exhausted? Where are these fuels located and what kind of burden on the environment do they represent? Our reserves at this time are deposits (exploitable accumulations of naturally occurring raw materials), which have been discovered and may be exploited.

The total occurrence of raw materials is called resources. Resources include known deposits, which are being exploited, then deposits, which may be exploited but need large investment of capital or new technology to do so, and deposits that have not been yet discovered, but according to estimates probably exist.

A great part of our resources is non-renewable, because these resources need many millions of years to form, but they may be exhausted within a few centuries. They are, in particular, solid fuel, such as coal and gas. For people, salt deposits, ores, and natural rock are also very important raw materials.

Since the beginning of the20th century, people have been trying to find alternate sources of these resources. Some of the examples is providing energy utilising the sunlight, or developing industrial manufacture of minerals.

Ore Deposits

Places containing a sufficient amount of minerals, which may be used to obtain metals, are called ore deposits, and minerals containing metals are called ore minerals. They are chemical compounds of metal elements combined with sulphur or oxygen. Ore in pure form is found very seldom, especially in larger pieces, they are combined generally with rock minerals, which are also important for us. Some precious or heavy metals, for example gold, occur naturally in the form of elements.

A valuable raw material is obtained by separating the ore from the host rock. A deposit is economically viable only if a certain element occurs in a substantially higher concentration than in the average rock of the earth's crust.

Deposits are formed by various geological processes. There are sedimentary, igneous, and hydrothermal deposits.

Sedimentary deposits are among the most important raw material resources on earth. Through chemical and physical action during the sedimentation process, many economically important minerals were separated. The most important factor in this case is the dissolving property of water. An example of this process are the silica sands. The water currents and waves change sands to such a degree, that only pure quartz is left behind. Quartz is an important raw material in the glass industry and for the telecommunications technology (fibre optics).

Copper, iron, and other metals are also important sedimentary ore deposits. The most important ores are found in the Precambrian sedimentary rock. There are large deposits of this type in Brazil, India, Australia, and North America.

Ore deposits with a high content of gold or other heavy metals, for example titanium minerals, are called placer deposits.

A well-known method of obtaining gold is the panning. By swirling a pan filled with fluvial deposits, one first separates the lighter minerals, because the heavy gold settles on the bottom of the pan.

Diamond, one of the most valuable minerals, comes to the earth's surface through thin, long tubes. Diamonds form in the depth of the upper earth's mantle, because only there the pressures are such as to allow the formation of this mineral.

Igneous deposits often occur in layers. They form, when minerals crystallise from the molten magma, sink, and are enriched on the bottom of the igneous chamber. In southern Africa, important deposits of platinum and chromium were find in this type of deposits.

Hydrothermal deposits form thanks to the action of hot solutions during magma melting processes, or in the hot underground water.

Minerals are separated by the hot liquids from the rock and when they are transported to cooler rocks, they settle in the cracks and cavities. This is how iron sulphides, zinc, and copper form.

If the hydrothermal solutions reach the earth's surface, it gives rise to hot springs and geysers containing mercury and zinc. Large hydrothermal deposits are found for example in the Mississippi river basin in Kansas and Oklahoma.

On the boundaries of colliding plates and in subduction zones, we find other deposits, of both the hydrothermal and igneous origin. This is an indication that there must be a link between the movement of the tectonic plates and the formation of the deposits.

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How Does Mining Affect the Environment?

There are several different types of mining like oil, mineral, gold and coal mining processes. Almost all the processes have one thing in common and that is mining for fossil fuels. Mining is mainly done to extract the minerals and metals from the core of the earth.

Mining is a very profitable business and it also creates employment opportunities. It benefits everyone including the government and that is why the mining industry is widely supported. There are several negative effects of mining for the environment.

To make mining possible, several forests are cleared and this leads to deforestation. Most of the mines in Africa were created after cutting down forests. The vegetation is cleared in order to build the mining facility and laying roads. Several organisms and animals live in these forests. With the deforestation, these organisms and animals lose their natural habitat. So, they start looking for a new habitat in order to survive. However, most organisms and animals do not respond very well this change and end up dying. The biodiversity is lost in this process. A number of smaller plants and creepers that grow with the support of the trees also die due to deforestation.

Every single forest in the world is a biosphere of its own. It is impossible to create a biosphere artificially as the various processes and inter-dependence of organisms is too complicated.

In addition, mining causes a lot of pollution as a lot of chemical waste incurred due to the various processed involved. This waste is released into water bodies, rivers and sea. The chemical composition of the soil also changes in the mining area. It becomes a desert-like environment where nothing grows.

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South African Mining Companies and Mining Houses are Being Reevaluated

South Africa holds the world's largest reserves of gold (35%), platinum group metals (55.7%), manganese ore (80%) chrome ore (68.3%) titanium metals (21%). It also produces a large share of the world's diamonds and mineral deposits.

Lucrative opportunities exist for downstream processing and value adding of iron, carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, platinum group metals and gold.

Beneficiation of minerals before export is a major growth area. The Department of Minerals and Energy has embarked on a small-scale mining programme aimed at encouraging and facilitating the development of economically viable small-scale mining and mineral-based industries, in line with the government's desire that small miners gain access to mineral rights suited to small mining activity.

Relationships between individual mining companies and the controlling mining houses are being reevaluated. Mergers, restructuring and unbundlings have created much optimism for the industry in recent years, driven by the need to develop black ownership, to expand abroad and by a languishing gold price.

Mining and minerals in South Africa:

South Africa is a world leader in mining. The country is internationally renowned for an abundance of mineral resources, accounting for a significant proportion of both world production and reserves, and South African mining companies dominate many sectors in the global industry.

South Africa is the world's biggest producer of gold and platinum and one of the leading producers of base metals and coal.

The country's diamond industry is the fourth-largest in the world, with only Botswana, Canada and Russia producing more diamonds each year.

Although well over a century old, South Africa's mining industry is far from fully tapped. The country is a treasure trove, with mineral deposits only matched by some countries of the former Soviet Union.

While holding the world's largest reserves of gold, platinum-group metals and manganese ore, the country has considerable potential for the discovery of other world-class deposits in areas yet to be exhaustively explored.

Only two strategic minerals - crude oil and bauxite - are not available in the country. For the rest, the sector spans the full spectrum of the five major mineral categories, namely precious metals and minerals, energy minerals, non-ferrous metals and minerals, ferrous minerals and industrial minerals.

Apart from its prolific mineral reserves, South Africa's strengths include a high level of technical and production expertise, and comprehensive research and development activities.

The country has world-scale primary processing facilities covering carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium industries, in addition to gold and platinum.

Minerals beneficiation:

With the growth of South Africa's secondary and tertiary industries as well as a decline in gold production, mining's contribution to South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) has declined over the past 10 years.

However, this may be offset by an increase in the downstream or beneficiated minerals industry, which the government has targeted as a growth sector.

Lucrative opportunities exist for downstream processing and adding value locally to iron, carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, platinum group metals and gold.

A wide range of materials is available for jewellery, including gold, platinum, diamonds, tiger's eye, and a wide variety of other semi-precious stones.

Industry transformation:

South Africa's mining industry is continually expanding and adapting to changing local and international world conditions, and remains a cornerstone of the economy, making a significant contribution to economic activity, job creation and foreign exchange earnings.

Change strategies adopted by the industry since the end of apartheid in 1994 have made it more competitive.

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The Source of Gold - Its Ores and Minerals

With the high market prices of gold and silver in recent months, a number of people are wondering about where these metals come from. Gold and silver metals are obtained from a variety of different types of rock ores. Most people think of gold nuggets and such as the source of gold, but the truth is that very little of the new gold produced comes from nuggets - nearly all newly mined gold comes from ores mined from the natural hard rocks that contain gold in tiny, even microscopic particles. This article is created to describe what these ores are like. Gold is found widely diffused in nature even though it is one of the scarcer metals in the earth's crust. Very commonly, gold occurs as the native metal encased within a mineral known as quartz. Sometimes the gold is in a finely divided state, sometimes in particles of considerable size, as nuggets, grains, scales, plates, threads and wires in quartz rock. It occurs also in a finely divided state disseminated through schistose rocks, slates and some sedimentary rocks like limestone. In these cases the rock has been altered by the flow of heated and mineralized waters, often resulting in the impregnation of large amounts of rock with silica, iron and a certain amount of gold. Sometimes the silicified rock even replaces much if not all of the original country rock. While historically speaking vein deposits were the most productive, these disseminated deposits currently yield much of the worlds gold ore.

Within gold ores, the element itself occurs in nature chiefly in the form of native gold, which is by far the most common gold bearing mineral. In various gold ores, the native gold commonly occurs as tiny particles contained within sulfide minerals such as pyrite. Iron pyrite is an exceedingly common mineral associated with gold, but it also serves as a reducing agent. Therefore whenever gold is found encased in pyrite, it is always present as free gold and not as some type of gold sulphide. Gold is also found at times in chalcopyrite, galena and arsenopyrite and stibnite, but not as a rule in such large amounts as may be found in pyrite. Other minerals, like sphalerite, pyrrhotite, magnetite and hematite sometimes carry small amounts of gold as well. Gold also occurs as tellurides such as calaverite. Common gangue minerals in gold ores include quartz, fluorite, calcite and pyrite, but many others can be found in smaller amounts.

Gold Ore Minerals:

The most prominent is native gold - most of the native gold contains a small amount of silver, copper, platinum, etc. Telluride minerals are the most common minerals which contain significant gold in their make up. They include: Petzite (Ag,Au) 2,Te, with a gold content of about 25 per cent. Hessite (Ag2Te), with gold often present replacing a part of the silver. Sylvanite (Au,Ag)Te2 : typically about 25 per cent. gold. Calaverite (Au,Ag)Te2 : typically about 40 per cent, gold. Krennerite (Ag2Te,Au2Te3) : gold is about 35 percent. Nagyagite (Au2,Pbi4,Sb3,Te7,S7). Some samples of Nagyagite have given upon analysis 12.75 per cent gold. The gold containing sulphides, as well as the tellurides, are of primary formation, although auriferous chalcopyrite might also be formed by secondary enrichment processes. Native gold may occur in the primary, secondary enrichment, or oxidized zones. The tellurides, which are usually associated with pyrite, are widely distributed, though not so abundant, but not always recognized; indeed by some miners they are mistaken for sulphides.

General Types of Gold Ores:

Gold deposits are often classified according to their association. The first of these may be catalogued as quartzose. This implies that the gangue mineral is acid, that is, quartz, and that fluorite may abound, or even the other gangue minerals of the alkaline earth group. Not infrequently there appears within the quartz varying amounts of pyrite and even limited quantities of chalcopyrite and galena. These are free milling ores. By a free milling ore, it is meant one that the rock does not require roasting before the gold can be recovered from it. Dry ore is the term often used for this category. The second class of gold ores is auriferous copper ores. These are widely distributed throughout the United States and much of the chalcopyrite is gold bearing. These auriferous copper ores are especially abundant in Colorado, Utah, Montana and British Columbia. They are also present at Gold Hill, North Carolina and in Canada at Newfoundland. The third class of gold ore is auriferous lead ores. The percentage of lead in these rocks is large and the gold content is often small. They are refractory ores like the copper ores. By refractory ore is meant one that requires roasting before extraction processing. The heavy sulphides as copper, lead and antimony require this method of treatment, that is the condition of the gold in the mineral will not allow of its immediate capture with most recovery systems. The fourth class of gold ores comprises the gold-telluride group. The gold telluride ores occur with silver, or with silver, lead and antimony, or as native gold accompanied by other tellurides. These ores are often sent direct to the smelters for treatment. A fifth type is the disseminated ore type. They are often low in grade but large. They fill large fracture and fault zones or replace certain geologic horizons. They are the result of the circulation of large amounts of heated water deep underground.

Types of Precious Metals and Why to Invest in Them

Like other rocks and minerals, precious metals acquire value with rarity and desirability. That's why they make good investments. These are used in art, jewelry, electronics and other fields. The more important ones include gold, silver and palladium. Here's a brief description of some of them:

Gold is found in South Africa, the Alaskan Yukon, California, Canada and in many Russian states. This is a relatively soft metal, heavy and malleable. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity and is insoluble in acid. Long prized as a monetary standard, gold is also used in dentistry and in electronic and scientific instruments.

Silver comes from Norway, Mexico, Chile, Canada, Australia and Colorado. Large blocks originate from Aspen, Colorado but the greatest quantity is taken from Mexico. Like gold, this mineral is fairly soft, heavy and malleable. It is soluble in nitric acid and is another good conductor of heat and electricity. Silver is used in jewelry, chemistry, electronics and in film photography. It is also used by the United States and other countries for currency.

Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal that was discovered in 1803 by the English chemist and physicist William Hyde Wollaston. Together with platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium, palladium is part of a group of elements known as the platinum group metals. These metals have similar chemical properties but palladium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense of these precious metals.

Palladium is found in several electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, multi-layer ceramic capacitors, component plating, low voltage electrical contacts, and TV sets. It is also used in dentistry, medicine and chemical applications. Palladium plays a key role in creating fuel cells which combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water.

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