|
|
Article: Industrial Minerals
- Article from:
- World of Earth Science
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Industrial minerals
Industrial
minerals
is a term used to describe naturally occurring non-metallic minerals that are used extensively in a variety of industrial operations. Some of the minerals commonly included in this category include asbestos, barite, boron compounds, clays, corundum,
feldspar
, fluorspar, phosphates, potassium salts, sodium chloride, and sulfur. Some of the mineral mixtures often considered as industrial minerals include construction materials such as
sand
, gravel,
limestone
,
dolomite
, and crushed
rock
; abrasives and refractories;
gemstones
; and lightweight aggregates.
Asbestos is a generic term used for a large group of minerals with complex chemical ...