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Table 2.1 Metals, useful minerals and their ores

Class Element Mineral Composition*
Ferrous metals Iron (Fe) Hematite Fe2O3
Limonite, goethite FeOOH
Magnetite Fe3O4
Manganese (Mn) Pyrolusite MnO2
Chromium (Cr) Chromite FeCr2O4
Nickel (Ni) Pentlandite (Fe, Ni)9S8
Garnierite (Ni,
Mg)3Si2O5(O
Molybdenum (Mo) Molybdenite MoS
H)4 2
Vanadium (V) Magnetite (Fe, V)3O4
Aluminium Aluminium (Al) Gibbsite Al(OH)3
Base metals Copper (Cu) Chalcopyrite CuFeS2
Chalcocite Cu2S
Cuprite Cu2O
Tetrahedrite (Cu, Ag)12Sb4
S13
Malachite Cu2CO3(OH)2
Azurite Cu3(CO3)2(OH)
Native copper 2
Cu
Zinc (Zn) Sphalerite (Zn, Fe)S
Lead (Pb) Galena PbS
Tin (Sn) Cassiterite SnO2
Precious metals Gold (Au) Native gold Au
Platinum (Pt) Alloys of platinum Pt, Pd, Os, Ir
group elements (PGE)
Silver (Ag) Native silver Ag
Argentite (Ag2S)
Energy sources Uranium (U) Pitchblende UO2
Coal (C) Coal C
High- Titanium (Ti) Ilmenite FeTiO3
technology Rutile TiO2
metals Zirconium (Zr) Zircon ZiSiO4
Niobium (Nb), Monazite, apatite and Nb, Th, La,
thorium (Th), rare minerals (bastnsite, Ce, Nd
rare earth pollusite, etc.)
Other elements elements(Ba)
Barium Barite BaSO4
Fluorine (F) Fluorite CaF2
Potassium (K) Sylvite KCl

Minerals Diamond C
Corundum Al2O3
Garnet Silicate of Al,
Talc Mg, Fe
Mg3Si4O8(OH)2
Mica Phyllosilicate
Diatomite Silica
Andalusite, kyanite Al2SiO5
Albite NaAlSi3O8
Halite NaCl
Calcite CaCO3
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Classication of ore minerals

Mineral Chemical Composition

Sulfides and Sulfosalts
Covellite CuS
Chalcocite Cu 2S
Chalcopyrite CuFeS 2
Bornite Cu8 FeS4
Tetrahedrite (Cu, Ag)12Sb 4 S 13
Galena PbS
Sphalerite (Zn, Fe)S
Cinnabar HgS
Cobaltite (Co, Fe)AsS
Molybdenite MoS2
Pentlandite (Fe, Ni)9S8
Millerite NiS
Realgar AsS
Stibnite Sb2S3
Sperrylite PtAs2
Laurite RuS2
Oxides and Hydroxides
Bauxite Al(OH)3
Boehmite (-AlO(OH))
Diaspore (-AlO(OH))
Cassiterite SnO2
Cuprite Cu2O
Chromite (Fe, Mg)Cr2O4
Columbite (Fe, Mn)(Nb, Ta)2O6
Hematite Fe2O3
Ilmenite FeTiO3
Magnetite Fe3O4

Pyrolusite MnO2

Rutile TiO2
Uraninite (pitchblende) UO2
Oxysalts
Calcite CaCO3
Rhodochrosite MnCO3
Smithsonite ZnCO3
Malachite Cu2CO3(OH)2
Barite BaSO4
Gypsum CaSO4.2H2O
Scheelite CaWO4
Wolframite (Fe, Mn)WO4
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Apatite Ca8 (PO4)3 (F,Cl, OH)

Halides
Halite NaCl
Sylvite KCl
Fluorite CaF2
Metals and Native Elements
Gold Au
Silver Ag
Platinum group of metals
Copper Cu
Carbon C (diamond, graphite)
Silicates
Beryl Be3 Al2 (SiO3)6
Garnet Silicate of Al, Mg, Fe
Garnierite
Mixture of the Ni-Mg-
hydrosilicates
Kaolinite Al4 Si4 O8 (OH)8
Sillimanite Al2 SiO8
Spodumene LiAlSi2 O6
Talc Mg3 Si4 O8 (OH)2
Zircon ZrSiO4

Table 2.4 Lindgrens Classication of Ore Deposits (modied from Lindgren 1933; Evans 1993)
Depth Temperature Occurrence Metals
(C)
Telethermal Near 100 In sedimentary rocks or lava Pb, Zn, Cd, Ge
surface flows; open fractures, cavities,
joints. No replacement
phenomena

Epithermal Near 50200 In sedimentary or igneous rocks; Pb, Zn, Au, Ag,
surface to often in fault systems; simple Hg, Sb, Cu, Se,
1.5 km veins or pipes and stockworks; Bi, U
little replacement phenomena

Mesothermal 1.24.5 km 200300 Generally in or near intrusive Au, Ag, Cu, As,
igneous rocks; associated with Pb, Zn, Ni, Co,
regional faults; extensive W, Mo, U etc.
replacement deposits or
fracture llings; tabular bodies,
stockworks, pipes

Hypothermal 315 km 300600 In or near deep-seated felsic Au, Sn, Mo,

plutonic rocks in deeply eroded W, Cu, Pb, Zn,
areas. Fracture-lling and As
replacement bodies; tabular or
irregular shapes
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