Human beings, in all stages of their development, have usedmineralsfor their livelihood, decoration, festivities,religiousand ceremonial rites. Such indispensable parts are minerals that life processes cannot occur without them (minerals). From a tiny pin to a towering building or a huge ship, almosteverythingwe use, all are made from minerals; even thefoodthat we eatcontains minerals. Although our mineral intake shares only about 0.3 percent of our total intake of nutrients, they are so influential and so significant that without them it is most impossible to utilize the other 99.7 percent of foodstuffs.
Mineral: An abridged introduction
Mineral has been defined by Geologists as a “homogenous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure.” Ranging from the hardest diamond to the softest talc minerals are found in various forms in nature.
On the basis of their compositions, minerals, that vary in physical properties like colour and hardness as well as chemical compositions, are classified in two groups. (i) Metallic minerals and (ii) Non-metallic minerals.
(i) Metallic minerals:These containmetals which are hard substancesthat conduct heat andelectricity.They possess a characteristic shine or lusterand can be beaten into various shapes (aremalleable) and can be drawn into wire (areductile).
As different types of metals have different properties and uses, we useprecious metalsmainly for making jwellery.Light metalslikealuminium and titaniumare used in manufacturing cars aircrafts, etc.
Solutions composed of two or more elements (Metallic compounds) are calledalloys; analloypossesses in itself certain influential properties that a constituent metal doesn’t have. Some importantalloysare:brass(made of copper and zinc),bronze(made of copper and tin) and alloysteels(steals containing varying amounts of chromium, nickel, magnese, etc.).
Metallic minerals, further, may beferrousornonferrous.Ferrous minerals like iron ore, manganese and chromitepossess iron ore while anonferrous mineralsdoes not possess iron but may contain some other metal such asgold, silver, copper or lead.
(ii) Nonmetallic minerals:The minerals without any metal are called nonmetallic minerals as is obvious from the name itself. Examples of such minerals areLimestone, mica, and gypsum. These type of minerals also includemineral fuels like coal andpetroleum.
Generally, rather usually, minerals are extracted from ores which are rocks with a high concentration of a particular mineral. Metals are often extracted from their ores bysmetting(process of heating beyond the melting point).
Must Read: Water Resources of India
India’s mineral resources
India has a wide variety of minerals. Althoughthemountainsand alluvial plainsor northern India are comparatively poor in minerals, theplateau regions, mainly Chhotanagpur Plateau, have the highest concentration of minerals in India.
Distribution and use of minerals
Iron ore: Iron ore, the mostsignificant 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 likeMadhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissalead in theproductionof 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 ofsteeland many other alloys.Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtraare 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 isextracted; 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 ofaeroplanes, automobiles, electric wires, paints, utensils, and many other things. In India,Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtraare theleading 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 ismalleable, ductileand a good conductor, it is also used in chemicalindustry.
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 exporterof 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 inJharkhand, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradeshare 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.Goldmines in the country are confined to thekolar 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 famousPanna mines of Madhya Pradesh and Golconda mines in Andhra Pradeshhas reduced considerably. However, thediamond-processing industryis 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 manufacturinghigh-grade steeland to plate iron objects to make them rust-proof.Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jharkhandare the main chromite producing States. India exports most of its production of thismineral.
Limestone: Limestone, anon-metallic mineral, is a useful resource that is used in the smelting of iron ore in theproduction of cement and mortar.Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Naduare the major limestone-producing States of India.
Gypsum:Gypsum,non-metallic mineral, contains calcium and sulpher. It is used in manufacturingcement, fertilizers and sulpheric acid. India’sleading gypsum-producingState areRajasthan and Gujarat.
Salt:Salt,a non-metallic mineral, is obtained from seas,lakesandrocks. It is used in chemical industry and added tofood. India is one of the largest producers and exports of Salt in the world. By evaporating sea water salt is produced inGujarat, Maharashtra,Tamil NaduandAndhra Pradesh. Salt is also extracted fromLake Sambharin Rajasthan. In Himachal Pradesh rock salt is produced.
Although India does produce very limited amount of lead, zinc and silver, the quantities are not enough to meet the requirements of the country.