MINERAL RESOURCES
- The minerals are broadly classified into two. They are
- Metallic Minerals
- Non – metallic minerals.
Metallic minerals
- The metallic minerals contain metals such as iron, Copper, Manganese, Bauxite and Gold.
- They are further divided into ferrous minerals and non-ferrous minerals.
Ferrous minerals
- Minerals having more iron content are called ferrous minerals.
- For example
- Iron
- Manganese
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Tungsten
Non – Ferrous Minerals
- Minerals which do not have iron contents are called non – ferrous minerals.
- For example
- Gold
- Silver
- Copper
- Bauxite
Non – Metallic Minerals
- The non – metallic minerals are minerals which do not contain metals, such as:
- Mica
- Lime Stone
- Gypsum
- Potash
- Coal
Example
- Coal
- Petroleum
Some Important Minerals Iron Ore
- Iron one is the basic resource for a nation‘s development.
- Iron is described as the backbone of civilization.
- India possesses 20% of the iron deposits of the world ‘s total reserves
- It is the second largest after the reserves of Russia.
- The quality of Indian ore is very high.
- Iron producing areas in India are
- Durg in Chhattisgarh
- Singh Phum district in Jharkhand
- Mayurbhanj, Koenjhar and Sundergarh district in Orissa
- other areas are Goa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Manganese
- India occupies the fifth position in the production of manganese.
- It is estimated that about 20 % of the manganese deposits of the world are in India.
- Manganese plays a very important role in the iron and steel industry as it is necessary to make steel hard and rustproof.
- Manganese dioxide is used for the manufacture of dry batteries.
- It is also used in manufacturing bleaching powder and paints.
Manganese Produced Areas are
- Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh
- Koonjhar, Boonaigarh in Orissa
- Bellary Chitradurga, Shimoga in Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
- Maharashtra
- Gujarat
- Bihar
Bauxite
- It is the ore of aluminum.
- Aluminium is a light metal formed by the decomposition of rocks rich in aluminium silicates.
- Due to good conducting, Great malleability and extreme lightness, it has got enormous industrial importance.
The major bauxite producing centers of India are
- Bilaspur in Chattisgarh
- Ranchi in Jarkhand
- Ratnagiri, Raigarh in Maharashtra
- Sambalpur, Kalahandi in Orissa
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu (Salem, Madurai, Nilgiri).
Copper
- Copper is another metal found in nature as a good conductor of heat and electricity.
- It has an important role in the Electrical goods industry.
- Copper is mixed with other metals to form alloys.
- Copper producing areas are
- Singhbhum in Jharkhand
- Guntur and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh
- Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Karnataka
Mica
- Mica is a bad conductor of electricity and so it is used I the manufacture of electrical goods.
- India contributes about 60 % of the mica production in the world.
- Major mica producing states of India are:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Jharkhand
- Bihar
- Rajasthan
Conservation of Mineral Resources
- The total volume of usable mineral deposits is one percent of the Earth‘s crust. We rapidly consuming mineral resources.
- But the geological processes of mineral formation are so slow and therefore they are non – renewable.
- A concerted effort has to be made In order to use our mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner.
- New technologies need to be evolved to use low-grade ores at low coasts, recycled metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes to conserve our mineral resources for the future.