Do you know that most industries are relying on minerals? Minerals are important for various industries and are revolutionizing them. Industrial minerals have gained a lot of importance over the years! Let’s see how minerals are important to industries!
What are minerals?
Minerals are elements or compounds that are formed as a result of geological processes. Minerals are found on Earth naturally. These minerals are inorganic and not made in laboratories. There are not a few minerals that are found on Earth. Rather there are as many as 4,000 minerals in different parts of the world.
Minerals exhibit 4 properties. All minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic, have a chemical composition, and have geometrical order of atoms. Inorganic characteristics of minerals do not imply that these minerals are artificial rather implies that they are non-living. Unlike bacteria and fungi, minerals are non-organic.
How are minerals formed?
Minerals are naturally formed by the natural processes of the earth. They are formulated by the cooled magma, drying of water, or the precipitating solution. Thus minerals are formed in various ways. The most common way minerals are formed is through magma. Deep in the earth, there is a hot molten rock that is known as Magma, as it moves upward, it cools down forming minerals. Some minerals are formed as a result of saltwater evaporation while some are formed when hot gases change their pressure.
What are industrial minerals?
Minerals are not useless. Some economically viable industries are using them. These industries heavily rely on minerals so that they can produce high-quality products. For instance, Talc is a mineral that is a key component of Talcum powder! These industrially important minerals are known as Industrial minerals.
Minerals are used by various industries as extenders, fillers, dusting agents, pigmentations, brightness, and others. Before moving to how minerals are important to industries, let’s see what are some kinds of industrial minerals:
- Talc
- Calcium Carbonate
- Gypsum
- Graphite
- Silica
- Bauxite
- Kaolin
- Limestone
These minerals are benefiting vital industries such as paints, rubber, glass, construction, cosmetics, and others.
How are Minerals important to industries?
Minerals are being used by various industries. We will be analyzing the use of the top three minerals in our article!
-
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium Carbonate is being used by a number of industries today. It is known as one of the most versatile minerals which are highly in demand. Owing to its properties, it is used as a filler in the glass and rubber industries. The gloss-finished look the glass and the rubber gets is because of the calcium carbonate. The paper industry is also benefiting from calcium carbonate as it helps in getting strong, white, and high-quality paper. Calcium carbonate is an essential component of the pharmaceutical industry. Its uses in medicines are notable. It helps in the fertilization of soil and thus is a part of the agricultural industry. Similarly, its use in the paints industry is extensive. Calcium carbonate acts as a filler and a pigmentation agent.
-
Talc
Another highly industrial-friendly mineral is Talc. Talc’s use in the cosmetic industry is known to all of us. We are using talcum powder for so long now. Talc is also an essential part of the paper, cosmetic, and lubricant industries. It has oil-absorbing properties which makes it a great cosmetic agent giving an oil-free makeup look. Not only this, vital industries such as rubber, paint, plastic, and resins, all rely on talc as a filler. The highly famous thermoplastic paint is also benefiting from talc.
-
Silica
Silica is an important industrial mineral. It is an industrial abrasive. Industries like Glass, paints and coating, ceramics, and construction are some of the industries using silica. It is used by the water industry to purify water. The pharmaceutical industry uses silica to keep medicines protected from moisture. The beverages and food industry uses it to avoid the caky look of food and liquids.
Keep reading more fun and informative stuff at Tech Bits Today!
