Types of Minerals
Minerals are broadly classified into two categories: metallic and non-metallic.
Metallic minerals are further sub-divided into ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
Non-metallic minerals comprise of minerals fuels, precious stones, etc.
Important Facts:
Iron-ore deposits are located in – Archean rocks of Bihar
Primary source of energy – Coal
Imp iron ores – Hematite and Magnetite
IREDA 1987 – Indian renewable energy development agency
Nayveli (TN) – famous for lignite
Rajasthan is the leading producer of – Gypsum, Silver, Steatite
Ore of Aluminium - bauxite
Imp oil refinary on west coast - Trombay
India is critically deficient in - Copper production
India’s mineral resources
Chhotanagpur Plateau, have the highest concentration of minerals in India.
Distribution and use of minerals
Iron ore:
Iron ore, the most significant metallic mineral, issued for making steel. India has got a place in the list of world’s leading producers of iron ore. At the one hand the states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa lead in the production of iron ore, and at the other states like Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra also produce iron ore. India has earned the status of a leading exporter of iron ore because of the high quality of its iron ore.
Mangenese:
Mangenese, a ferrous mineral, is used in the manufacturing of steel and many other alloys. Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are the main manganese producing States.
India, a leading producer of manganese, exports a large portion of its total production.
Bauxite:
Bauxite, a nonferrous mineral, is the ore from which aluminium is extracted; it is an important metal because it combines the potency of metals such as iron with extreme lightness and also with good
conductivity and mervellous malleability.
Alluminium is used in manufacturing of aeroplanes, automobiles, electric wires, paints, utensils, and many other things. In India, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra are
the leading bauxite-producer States. India, being a leading producer of bauxite, exports a large part of its total production.
Copper:
Copper, a nonferrous mineral, is used mostly in the manufacturing of electric wires and machines because it is malleable, ductile and a good conductor, it is also used in chemical industry.
As India does not have enough reserves of this mineral, the country has to import this metal to meet the domestic requirements. Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh are the chief copper producing States.
Mica:
Mica, a non-metallic mineral, is made up of series of plates or leaves. As a non conductor electricity, mica has got an important place in the electric and electronic goods industries. It is also used
in making paints, varnishes etc.
India is the largest producer and exporter of mica in the world; the export of mica accounts for more than half of the world’s production and exports most of its own total production.
Jhaekan leads in the production of mica in the country; puby mica, a rare variety, is also produced in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are other important mica-producing States.
Gold:
Gold, a metallic mineral, is commonly used for making jwellery. India’s annual production of this mineral is low as it has very limited reserves of gold. Gold mines in the country are confined to the kolar areas in Karnataka, where mining is very expensive because the mines are among the deepest in the world.
Diamond:
The precious stone diamond, a metallic mineral, is used in making jwellery; it is also used to make various instruments.
Being very hard they are used in drilling hard rocks and cutting glasses.
Production in once famous Panna mines of Madhya Pradesh and Golconda mines in Andhra Pradesh has reduced considerably.
However, the diamond-processing industry is well developed in
Surat (Gujarat) due to which India imports diamonds for processing and exports those processed diamonds.
Chromite:
It is the ore from which chromium is extracted that is used in manufacturing high-grade steel and to plate iron objects to make them rust-proof. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jharkhand are the main chromite producing States.
India exports most of its production of this mineral.
Limestone:
Limestone, a non-metallic mineral, is a useful resource that is used in the smelting of iron ore in the production of cement and mortar. Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are the major limestone-producing States of India.
Gypsum:
Gypsum, non-metallic mineral, contains calcium and sulpher. It is used in manufacturing cement, fertilizers and sulpheric acid. India’s leading gypsum-producing State are Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Salt:
Salt, a non-metallic mineral, is obtained from seas, lakes and rocks.
It is used in chemical industry and added to food.
India is one of the largest producers and exports of Salt in the world.
By evaporating sea water salt is produced in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Salt is also extracted from Lake Sambhar in Rajasthan. In Himachal Pradesh rock salt is produced.
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