Mineral Resources

Mr. ClarkBHS

Mineral Resources

Finding and extracting mineral resources

Types of mineral resources

Mineral Resources

Metallic

Non-metallic

Energy resources

Ores

Categories of Mineral Resources

Identified Resources

Undiscovered Resources

Reserves

Other

Locating Mineral Resources

Satellite and air imagery

MagnetometersGravity differences

Radiation detectors

Seismic surveysChemical analyses

Extracting Mineral Resources: Surface Mining

Open-pit mining

Area strip mining Contour strip mining

Dredging

Extracting Mineral Resources: Underground Mining

Room-and-pillar mining

Longwall mining

Underground mining or subsurface mining

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was established 1977

Mine lands must be restored to pre-mining conditions

Taxes on mining companies to restore pre-1977 sites

Limited success

Environmental Effects of Mining Mineral ResourcesDisruption of land surfaceSubsidenceErosion of solid mining wasteAcid mine drainage (AMD)Air pollutionStorage and leakage of liquid mining

waste

Environmental Effects of Mining Mineral Resources

Fig. 16-14 p. 344

Environmental Impacts of Mining Mineral ResourcesSurface mining Subsurface mining

Overburden SpoilOpen-pitDredgingStrip mining

Room and pillarLongwall

Refer to Figs. 15-4 and 15-5, p. 341 and 342

Processing Mineral Resources

Ore mineral

Gangue

Tailings

Smelting

Surface mining

Metal ore

Separationof ore fromgangue

Scattered in environment

Recycling

Discarding of product

Conversion to product

Melting metal

Smelting

Supplies of Mineral Resources

Economic depletion Depletion time Foreign sources

Economics

Environmental concerns

Mining the ocean Finding substitutes

New technologies

Open Pit Mine

Dredging

Area Strip Mining

Contour Strip Mining

Underground Coal Mine

Ventilation shaft

Shaft

Mainshaft

Lift cage

Pumps

Coalseams

Room-and-pillar

Longwall Mining of Coal

Transition from Peat to Lignite to Bituminous to Anthracite

                                         

Yellow = Anthracite Blue = Sub Bituminous Orange = Bituminous Green = Low Volatile Bituminous Purple = Lignite

U. S. Coal Deposits

Major Coal fields in USA

http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/energy/maps/figure2.map

Canadian Coal Deposits

                                                      

Strip Mining for Coal

Open Pit and Spoil Bank

Strip Mine and Reclaimed Land

Coal Drag Line

World’s Largest Open Pit Copper Mine- Bingham Mine, Utah

Open Pit Gold Mine - Nevada

Bingham Canyon Mine and Tailings, Utah

Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine

Shovel and Truck

Trucks at Crusher

Shovel and Truck

Ore Being Delivered to Crusher for Transport to Smelter 5 Miles

Away

Tailings Piles – Bingham Mine

Mine Tailings

Underground Coal Mine

Sterling Hill Zinc Mine, Franklin, New Jersey

Knox Mine Before Disaster

Room and Pillar Mine

Sink Hole – Cargill, Kansas

Sink Hole

Cross Section of Sink Hole

Smelting

At 500 C3Fe2O3 +CO -> 2Fe3O4 + CO2

Fe2O3 +CO -> 2FeO + CO2

                                        

              

At 850 CFe3O4 +CO -> 3FeO + CO2

At 1000 CFeO +CO -> Fe + CO2

At 1300 CCO2 + C -> 2CO

At 1900 CC+ O2 -> CO2

FeO +C -> Fe + CO

                                                               

            

Blast Furnace

Charcoal Blast Furnace

Slag Being Dumped

Slag the Next day

Gold and Silver Mine Tailings Central City, Colorado

Clayton Silver Mine, Idaho

Acid Mine Drainage – Eastern Pennsylvania

Acid Mine Drainage in Colorado

Chemical reactions that represent the chemistry of pyrite weathering to form Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). An overall summary reaction is as follows:

4 FeS2 + 15 O2 + 14 H2O 4 Fe(OH)3 + 8 H2SO4

Pyrite + Oxygen + Water "Yellowboy" + Sulfuric Acid

Acid Mine Drainage Chemistry

Weathering of pyrite includes the oxidation of pyrite by oxygen. Sulfur is oxidized to sulfate and ferrous iron is released. This reaction generates two moles of acidity for each mole of pyrite oxidized.

2 FeS2 + 7 O2 + 2 H2O 2 Fe2+ + 4 SO42- + 4 H+

Pyrite + Oxygen + Water Ferrous Iron + Sulfate + Acidity

Acid Mine Drainage Chemistry

4 Fe2+ + O2 + 4 H+ 4 Fe3+ + 2 H2O Ferrous Iron + Oxygen + Acidity Ferric Iron + Water

The conversion of ferrous iron to ferric iron consumes one mole of acidity. Certain bacteria increase the rate of oxidation from ferrous to ferric iron.

Acid Mine Drainage Chemistry

Centralia Fires Rt. 61 into Centralia, Pa.

Centralia Fires Still Burning Underground

Copper Basin, Tennessee

Copper Basin, Tennessee

Copper Basin, Tennessee Copper Mine

                              

Abandoned Mine Entrance - Alaska

                              

Reclamation Before After