We use different things in our daily life made from metal. You have studied that the earth�s crust is made up of different minerals embedded in the rocks. Various metals are extracted from these minerals after proper refinement. Minerals are an indispensable part of our lives. Almost everything we use, from a tiny pin to a towering building or a big ship, all are made from minerals. Let us know about minerals in India

 

The railway lines and the tarmac (paving) of the roads, our implements, and machinery to are made from minerals. Cars, buses, trains, airplanes are manufactured from minerals and run on power resources derived from the earth. Even the food that we eat contains minerals. In all stages of development, human beings have used minerals for their livelihood, decoration, festivities, religious and ceremonial rites.

What is a mineral?

 

Geologists define a mineral as a �homogenous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure.� Minerals are found in varied forms in nature, ranging from the hardest diamond to the softest talc.

 

Minerals in India

 

Let us study the distribution of a few major minerals in India. Always remember that the concentration of minerals in the ore, the ease of extraction, and closeness to the market play an important role in affecting the economic viability of a reserve. Thus, to meet the demand, a choice has to be made between a number of possible options. When this is done a mineral �deposit� or �reserve� turns into a mine.

 

Classification of minerals

 

You have already learned about rocks. Rocks are combinations of homogenous substances called minerals. Some rocks, for instance, limestone, consisting of a single mineral only, but the majority of the rock consists of several minerals in varying proportions. Although over 2000 minerals have been identified, only a few are abundantly found in most of the rocks.

 

A particular mineral that will be formed from a certain combination of elements depends upon the physical and chemical conditions under which the material forms. This, in turn, results in a wide range of colors, hardness, crystal forms, luster, and density that a particular mineral possesses.

 

Geologists use these properties to classify the minerals. However, for general and commercial purposes minerals can be classified as under.

 

Ferrous Minerals

 

Ferrous minerals account for about three-fourths of the total value of the production of metallic minerals. They provide a strong base for the development of metallurgical industries. India exports substantial quantities of ferrous minerals after meeting its internal demands.

 

Iron Ore

 

Iron ore is the basic mineral and the backbone of industrial development. India is endowed with fairly abundant resources of iron ore. India is rich in good-quality iron ores. Magnetite is the finest iron ore with a very high content of iron up to 70 percent.

 

It has excellent magnetic qualities, especially valuable in the electrical industry. Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used but has a slightly lower iron content than magnetite. (50-60 percent).

 

Iron ore belts in India

The major iron ore belts in India are:
� Orissa-Jharkhand belt: In Orissa high-grade hematite ore is found in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts. In the adjoining Singbhum district of Jharkhand, hematite iron ore is mined in Gua and Noamundi.

 

� Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt lies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Very high-grade hematites are found in the famous Bailadila range of hills in the Bastar district of Chattisgarh.

 

The range of hills comprises 14 deposits of super high-grade hematite iron ore. It has the best physical properties needed for steel making. Iron ore from these mines is exported to Japan and South Korea via Vishakapatnam port.

 

� Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmaglur-Tumkur belt in Karnataka has large reserves of iron ore. The Kudermukh mines located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka are a 100 percent export unit. Kudremukh deposits are known to be one of the largest in the world. The ore is transported as slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangalore.

 

Maharashtra-Goa belt includes the state of Goa and Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Though the ores are not of very high quality, yet they are efficiently exploited. Iron ore is exported through Marmagao port.

 

Manganese

 

Manganese is mainly used in the manufacturing of steel and ferromanganese
alloy. Nearly 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture one tonne of steel. It is also used in manufacturing bleaching powder, insecticides, and paints.

 

Orissa is the largest producer of manganese ores in India. It accounted for one-third of the country�s total production in 2000-01.

 

Non-Ferrous Minerals

 

India�s reserves and production of non-ferrous minerals are not very satisfactory. However, these minerals, which include copper, bauxite, lead, zinc, and gold play a vital role in a number of metallurgical, engineering, and electrical industries.

 

Copper

 

India is critically deficient in the reserve and production of copper. Being malleable, ductile, and a good conductor, copper is mainly used in electrical cables, electronics, and chemical industries. The Balaghat mines in Madhya Pradesh produce 52 percent of India�s copper. The Singbhum district of Jharkhand is also a leading producer of copper. The Khetri mines in Rajasthan are also famous.

 

Bauxite

 

Though several ores contain aluminum, it is from bauxite, a clay-like substance that alumina and later aluminum is obtained. Bauxite deposits are formed by the decomposition of a wide variety of rocks rich in aluminum silicates. Aluminum is an important metal because it combines the strength of metals such as iron, with extreme lightness and also with good conductivity and great malleability.

 

India�s bauxite deposits are mainly found in the Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills, and the plateau region of Bilaspur- Katni. Orissa is the largest bauxite producing state in India with 45 percent of the country�s total production in 2000-01. Panchpatmali deposits in the Koraput district are the most important bauxite deposits in the state.

 

Non-Metallic Minerals

 

Mica is a mineral made up of a series of plates Or leaves. It splits easily into thin sheets. These sheets can be so thin that a thousand can be layered into a mica sheet of a few centimeters high.

 

Mica can be clear, black, green, red yellow, or brown. Due to its excellent dielectric strength, low power loss factor, insulating properties, and resistance to high voltage, mica is one of the most indispensable minerals used in electric and electronic industries.

 

Mica deposits are found in the northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau. Koderma Gaya � Hazaribagh belt of Jharkhand is the leading producer. In Rajasthan, the major mica producing area is around Ajmer. Nellore mica belt of Andhra Pradesh is also an important producer in the country.

 

Rock Minerals

 

Limestone is found in association with rocks composed of calcium carbonates or calcium and magnesium carbonates. It is found in sedimentary rocks of most geological formations.

 

Limestone is the basic raw material for the cement industry and essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace. Stricter safety regulations and implementation of environmental laws are essential to prevent mining from becoming a �killer industry�.

 

CONSERVATION OF MINERALS

 

We all appreciate the strong dependence of industry and agriculture upon mineral deposits and the substances manufactured from them. The total volume of workable mineral deposits is an insignificant fraction i.e. one percent of the earth�s crust. We are rapidly consuming mineral resources that required millions of years to be created and concentrated. The geological processes of mineral formation are so slow that the rates of replenishment are infinitely small in comparison to the present rates of consumption.

 

Mineral resources are, therefore, finite and non-renewable. Rich mineral deposits are our country�s extremely valuable but short-lived possessions. Continued extraction of ores leads to increasing costs as mineral extraction comes from greater depths along with a decrease in quality.

 

A concerted effort has to be made in order to use our mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner. Improved technologies need to be constantly evolved to allow the use of low-grade ores at low costs. Recycling metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes are steps in conserving our mineral resources for the future.

 

Read More: Conventional Sources of Energy: Coal, Petroleum and Natural Gas