The document defines several key terms used in mineral deposits:
- Mineral refers to any naturally occurring substance that can be mined for economic value. Ore is the valuable material extracted, comprising the ore mineral and unwanted gangue. Grade refers to the proportion of ore that is the valuable ore mineral. Tenor specifies the percentage of the ore mineral that is the actual metal that can be extracted. Tonnage indicates the total amount of metal that can be extracted from a deposit. Mineral deposits are either syngenetic, formed at the same time as the host rock, or epigenetic, formed later than the host rock.
The document defines several key terms used in mineral deposits:
- Mineral refers to any naturally occurring substance that can be mined for economic value. Ore is the valuable material extracted, comprising the ore mineral and unwanted gangue. Grade refers to the proportion of ore that is the valuable ore mineral. Tenor specifies the percentage of the ore mineral that is the actual metal that can be extracted. Tonnage indicates the total amount of metal that can be extracted from a deposit. Mineral deposits are either syngenetic, formed at the same time as the host rock, or epigenetic, formed later than the host rock.
The document defines several key terms used in mineral deposits:
- Mineral refers to any naturally occurring substance that can be mined for economic value. Ore is the valuable material extracted, comprising the ore mineral and unwanted gangue. Grade refers to the proportion of ore that is the valuable ore mineral. Tenor specifies the percentage of the ore mineral that is the actual metal that can be extracted. Tonnage indicates the total amount of metal that can be extracted from a deposit. Mineral deposits are either syngenetic, formed at the same time as the host rock, or epigenetic, formed later than the host rock.
The document defines several key terms used in mineral deposits:
- Mineral refers to any naturally occurring substance that can be mined for economic value. Ore is the valuable material extracted, comprising the ore mineral and unwanted gangue. Grade refers to the proportion of ore that is the valuable ore mineral. Tenor specifies the percentage of the ore mineral that is the actual metal that can be extracted. Tonnage indicates the total amount of metal that can be extracted from a deposit. Mineral deposits are either syngenetic, formed at the same time as the host rock, or epigenetic, formed later than the host rock.
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Mineral Deposits 1 - Introduction
I.G.Kenyon Mineral Deposits – Basic Terminology 1
Mineral – something that can be mined from
the ground and is of economic/industrial value
294.10 Troy Ounces 61 lb 11oz!
Mineral Deposits – Basic Terminology 2
Ore – the valuable material extracted
Comprises the Ore mineral and the Gangue
Ore Mineral – the mineral from which the valuable
component usually a metal will be derived Chalcopyrite, Bornite, Azurite, Chalcocite and Malachite are all mined to extract Copper Mineral Deposits – Basic Terminology 2
Gangue – the unwanted part of the ore, comprises
minerals such as calcite, quartz and iron pyrite Mineral Deposits – Basic Terminology 3
Grade – Refers to the proportion of the ore that
is the ore mineral or actual elemental metal content that can be extracted from it - expressed as a percentage The grade of the Cornish tin ore is between 0.5 and 1.5 % cassiterite (Sn O2 ) This means there is between 98.5 and 99.5% gangue in the ore Mineral Deposits – Basic Terminology 4
Tenor – Refers to the percentage of the ore
mineral that is actual metal to be extracted
The tenor of iron ores vary considerably:
Limonite 35% Fe, Haematite 57% Fe, Magnetite 70% Calculating Ore Grade as % Mineral Content and % Elemental Metal Content Using Chalcopyrite as an example: Chemical Formula is Cu, Fe, S2 Relative atomic masses are: Cu = 63.5, Fe = 56 and S = 32 So 1kg of copper will be found in: 63.5 + 56 + (2 x 32)/63.5 This equals 2.9 kg of Chalcopyrite If the ore contained 2% copper then it would have 2 x 2.9 = 5.8% Chalcopyrite Calculating Ore Grade as % Mineral Content and % Elemental Metal Content If the process is reversed: The grade of the ore as metal content can be calculated 100% Cu, Fe, S2 contains 63.5/63.5 + 56 + (2 x 32) x 100 = 34.6% Cu Metal Ore of 2% Chalcopyrite contains: 34.6 x 2/100 = 0.692% copper metal Mineral Deposits – Basic Terminology 5 Tonnage – Refers to the total amount of metal that can be extracted from any particular ore deposit.
Tonnage is calculated by taking into account the volume of the
ore deposit, the grade of the ore and the tenor of the ore mineral Classification of Mineral Deposits 1
Example:Grains of tin that
form part of the matrix in a river bed conglomerate
Syngenetic – A mineral deposit formed
at the same time as the enclosing rock Classification of Mineral Deposits 2
Example:Tin and Copper in Cornwall introduced
into the country rock or ‘killas’ (of Devonian age) by hydrothermal fluids, following later granite emplacement (End of Carboniferous)