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Mining is the branch of industry involving the exploration and removal of minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the oldest and most important endeavors of humankind, because it provides the raw ingredients for most of the material world around us and, like agriculture, is the lifeblood of civilization. The main objective of any type of mining is to remove the valuable material economically and safely with minimum damage to the surrounding environment. The Earth has many natural resources on which we depend that must be mined. Coal, oil, gas, and other mineral fuels are used for heating, electricity, and numerous industrial processes. Nonfuel minerals such as iron ore, precious metals, and industrial metals, and nonmetallic materials like sodium and potassium are used in chemical and agricultural applications. Even crushed stone used in road building and other construction projects must be mined. Mining affects our standard of living and impacts almost everything we do. A myriad of items that we use in our homes and offices and for transportation, communications, and national defense all require minerals. For example, more than 30 different minerals are needed to make a television or telephone! Table 1 lists several commonly mined materials and some of the end uses in our daily lives. Table Commonly mined materials and end uses | Mined material | End uses | | Coal | Generating electricity, making iron and steel, manufacturing chemicals and other products. | | Sand and gravel | Building roads, homes, schools, offices, and factories. | | Iron ore | Steel products (kitchen utensils, automobiles, ships, buildings). | | Aluminum ore (bauxite) | Military aircraft, naval vessels, pots and pans, beverage cans. | | Copper ore | Electrical motors, generators, communications equipment, wiring. | | Silver ore | Electric and electronics circuitry, coins, jewelry, photographic film. | | Gold ore | Jewelry, satellites, sophisticated electronic circuits. | | Zinc | Diecasting, galvanizing brass and bronze, protective coatings on steel, chemical compounds in rubber and paints. | | Lead | Batteries, solder, electronic components. | | Clay | Bricks, paper, paint, glass, pottery, linoleum, concrete, wallboard, spackling, pencils, microwavable containers, vegetable oil. | | Gypsum | Concrete, wallboard, spackling, caulking, potting soil. | | Phosphate | Plant fertilizers. | | Salt | Cooking, drinking water, plastics, highway de-icing, detergents. | Minerals are vital to any industrialized civilization. The mineral extractive industries play a critical role in the vitality of our Nation's economy, in our standard of living, and in our personal lives. ( U.S. Bureau of Mines) |
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