Minerals and how they are used
This information was compiled to accompany an exhibit sponsored by The Smithsonian Institution, General Motors and the Michigan Mineralogical Society. The exhibit includes a Chevrolet Lumina Minivan cut away and painted to show the places where the various minerals are used, and mineral specimens. The exhibit was featured at the gemshow last held last May in Waterloo. The exhibit will be on display soon at the Cranbrook Institute, in the Bloomfield Hills section of Detroit. The Cranbrook Institution has an excellent earth sciences exhibit, including a world-class mineral collection.
Aluminum: Bauxite -
hydrous
aluminum
oxide.
Separated
by
digestion,
precipitation
and
electrolysis.
Automotive
use:
Air
conditioner
parts,
transmission,
trim,
radiators,
engine
and
moulds
for
fabricating
other
metal
and
plastic
parts.
Alloyed
with
silicon
and
copper
cast,
rolled,
stamped
and
drawn.
Antimony: Stibnite -
antimony
sulphide.
Separated
by
smelting
and
refining.
Automotive
use:
Composite
body
panels,
dash
boards
and
other
items.
Mixed
into
heat
resistant
and
flame
retardant
resins
used
to
make
plastic
parts
and
alloyed
with
lead
in
solder.
Asbestos: Chrysotile -
calcium
magnesium
aluminum
silicate.
Separated
by
hand
sorting
and
fiberizing.
Automotive
use:
Friction
surfaces
on
breaks
and
clutch.
Barium: Barite -
barium
sulphate.
Separated
by
selective
mining
and
gravity
concentration.
Automotive
use:
Surface
and
primer
paints;
air
bubble
control
agent
in
making
glass.
Added
as
a
powder
to
paint
formations
and
to
the
melt
during
glass
making.
Bentonite: Bentonite
clay -
sodium-
calcium
aluminum
magnesium
hydrous
silicate.
Separated
by
washing,
drying
and
grinding.
Automotive
use:
Coatings
and
adhesives.
Mixed
with
other
materials
to
make
resins,
adhesives,
sealants
and
pigments
for
paints.
Borates:
(Borax); Kemite
and
Colmanite -
hydrous
sodium
and
calcium
borates.
Separated
by
magnetic
removal
of
impurities,
dissolution
and
recrystallization
Automotive
use:
Component
of
glass
manufacture.
Used
as
a
flux
to
melt
minerals
and
to
make
glass.
Beryllium: Beryl
and
Bertrandite -
beryllium
silicates
Separated
by
selective
mining,
hand
sorting,
fusion,
leaching,
and
precipitation
Automotive
use:
Electrical
contacts
and
on-board
computers
alloyed
with
copper
and
used
as
heat-conducting
electrical
insulators
for
high-power
electronic
components
in
computer
and
audio
systems.
Brucite: Brucite -
Magnesium
hydroxide
Separated
by
selective
mining,
washing,
and
grinding
Automotive
use:
Smoke
and
fire
retardant
in
plastics.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
electrical
insulation
and
other
plastic
components.
Calcium
carbonate: Calcite
(Limestone
and
marble)
-
Calcium
carbonate
Separated
by
selective
mining,
grinding,
and
sizing
Automotive
use:
Iron,
paints,
plastics,
carpet,
and
glass.
Calcium
carbonate
is
the
most
common
filler
and
extender
mineral.
It
is
compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints,
adhesives,
sealants,
and
carpet
backing.
It
is
added
to
glass
melt
to
produce
soda-lime
glass.
It
is
used
as
a
flux
in
smelting
iron
and
copper.
Chromium: Chromite -
Iron-chromium
oxide
Separated
by
smelting
and
electrolysis
Automotive
use:
Exposed
trim
parts
and
steel
for
frame,
suspension
components,
engine
parts,
and
body
reinforcement
members.
Alloyed
with
iron
and
molybdenum
to
make
high-strength
steels.
Copper: Chalcopyrite,
Chalcocite,
Azurite,
Malachite,
Chrysocolla,
(and
other
sulfides
and
oxides
of
copper) -
Copper-iron
sulfide,
copper
sulfide,
copper
carbonates,
copper
silicate
compounds.
Separated
by
smelting
or
leaching,
and
electrolysis.
Automotive
use:
Electrical
wiring,
motor
windings,
radiators,
bushings,
instruments,
and
electronic
parts.
Drawn
into
electrical
wire,
alloyed
with
tin
and
zinc
to
make
brass
castings.
Diatomaceous
earth: Diatomite
or
Diatomaceous
earth -
Amorphous
silica
skeletons
of
diatoms.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
drying,
air
classification,
and
calcining.
Automotive
use:
Under-coat
sound
and
thermal
insulation,
abrasives.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
undercoating
and
in
metal
processing
to
remove
machining
burrs.
Dolomite: Dolomite,
(dolomitic
limestone) -
Calcium-magnesium
carbonate.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
crushing,
and
sizing.
Automotive
use:
Glass,
dashboard,
body
panels.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
composite
body
panels
and
added
to
glass
melt
to
make
windows.
Feldspar: Orthoclase
and
Plagioclase -
Sodium-calcium-magnesium
aluminum
silicates.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
grinding,
flotation,
and
fine
grinding.
Automotive
use:
Paint,
composite
body
panels,
spark
plugs,
sensors,
radio,
computer,
and
windows.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
body
panels
and
paints.
Fused
with
other
minerals
including
clays
to
make
ceramic
parts,
and
a
component
in
manufacturing
glass.
Fluorspar: Fluorite -
Calcium
fluoride.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
flotation,
and
conversion
to
fluorine
chemicals.
Automotive
use:
Engine,
wheels,
air
conditioner,
and
ceramic
parts.
Processed
to
make
"ozone
layer
friendly"
refrigerants.
Used
in
refining
and
casting
iron
and
steel.
Used
as
a
flux
in
ceramics.
Garnet: Garnet
(from
placer
sands) -
Silicates
of
calcium,
magnesium,
iron,
manganese,
aluminum,
chromium,
and
vanadium.
Separated
by
placer
gravity
recovery,
screening,
specialized
crushing.
Automotive
use:
Manufacturing
process
Used
in
metal
part-making
to
remove
burrs
and
polish
surfaces.
Gold: Gold
ore
and
native
placer
gold -
Native
gold
naturally
alloyed
with
silver
and
as
minute
amounts
contained
in
copper,
lead,
silver,
zinc
ores.
Separated
by
gravity
separation,
cyanidation,
flotation,
smelting,
and
electrolysis.
Automotive
use:
Electronic
components
and
special
wiring
connectors
for
"air
bags."
Used
pure
and
plated
onto
the
surface
of
other
metals.
Gypsum: Gypsum -
Hydrous
calcium
sulfate.
Separated
by
selective
mining
and
grinding.
Automotive
use:
Carpets,
compounded
with
other
minerals
and
resins
to
make
fire
retardant
backing
on
carpets.
Iron: Hematite -
Iron
oxide.
Separated
by
smelting,
open
hearth,
blast
furnace,
basic
oxygen
furnace.
Automotive
use:
Castings
for
engines,
pumps,
axles,
brakes,
steel
parts
for
gears,
shafts,
and
sheet
metal.
Alloyed
with
chromium,
nickel,
and
molybdenum
and
rolled.
Stamped,
forged,
and
cast
into
many
varied
parts.
Kaolin: Kaolinite -
Hydrous
aluminum
silicate.
Separated
by
washing
and
drying,
fine
grinding,
classification,
and
calcining.
Automotive
use:
Paint,
tires,
plastics,
and
ceramics.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
interior
door
panels,
upholstery,
dashboards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
and
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Lead: Galena
and
as
a
by-products
from
mixed
copper-lead
ores -
Lead
sulfide.
Separated
by
flotation,
roasting,
sintering,
smelting,
and
electrolysis.
Automotive
use:
Batteries,
solder,
lubricants,
wheel
weights,
and
lock
pendulums
for
seat
belts.
Alloyed
with
tin,
zinc,
and
antimony
to
make
solders,
alloyed
with
antimony
to
make
battery
plates.
Magnesite: Dolomite
and
Magnesite -
Magnesium
carbonate.
Separated
by
selective
mining
and
calcining.
Automotive
use:
Refractory
high
temperature
insulators
in
exhaust
system
and
catalytic
convertors.
Cast
and
molded
into
high
temperature
insulators.
Manganese: Pyrolusite,
Manganite,
and
wad -
Oxides
and
hydrous
oxides
of
manganese.
Separated
by
flotation
and
sintering.
Automotive
use:
Castings
for
engines,
pumps,
axles,
brakes,
steel
parts
for
gears,
shafts,
and
sheet
metal.
Alloyed
with
iron.
Mercury: Cinnabar -
Mercury
sulfide.
Separated
by
electrolysis,
thermal
reduction.
Automotive
use:
Batteries,
electronics,
and
manufacturing
process.
Alloyed
with
silver
and
as
mercury
compounds.
Mica: Mica
(Pegmatite
and
mica
schist
deposits) -
Sheet
structured
potassium-aluminum
silicates.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
hand
sorting
or
flotation,
and
wet
or
dry
grinding
depending
on
use.
Automotive
use:
"Metallic"
paints,
interior
trim,
dash
board,
steering
wheel,
tires,
sound
proofing,
weather
stripping,
and
other
plastics
and
rubber
parts.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints,
interior
door
panels,
trim
parts,
dash
boards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
and
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Mineral
Pigments: Hematite,
carbon
black,
titanium
dioxide,
others -
Oxides
and
elements.
Separation
method
varies
from
being
manufactured
from
minerals
while
others
are
naturally
occurring.
They
all
are
finely
ground
before
use.
Automotive
use:
Included
in
all
nonmetal
parts
and
as
coatings
and
paint
on
metal
parts.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
interior
paint,
coatings,
door
panels,
upholstery,
dash
boards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
and
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Molybdenum: Molybdenite -
Molybdenum
sulfide.
Separated
by
Flotation,
roasting,
sintering.
Automotive
use:
Special
steels
and
lubricants.
Alloyed
with
steels,
added
to
greases.
Nickel: Pentlandite -
Ferrous
nickel
sulfide.
Separated
by
roasting,
smelting,
leaching,
electrolysis,
and
gas
reduction.
Automotive
use:
Steel
shafts,
electric
parts,
magnets,
and
plating.
Alloyed
with
iron
and
copper.
Perlite: Perlite -
Amorphous
silica
with
contained
water.
Separated
by
crushing
and
popping
at
high
temperatures
to
produce
a
light
weight
powder.
Automotive
use:
Caulking,
adhesives,
and
sealants.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
caulks,
adhesives,
and
sealants.
Petroleum
derivatives: Coal,
oil
sands,
oil
shale,
tar
sands -
Hydrocarbons
in
the
form
of
sedimentary
rocks
or
liquid-saturated
sedimentary
rocks.
Separated
by
crushing,
grinding,
roasting,
gassifying,
cracking,
distillation,
refining,
chlorination,
hydrogenation,
and
polymerization.
Automotive
use:
Plastic
parts,
rubber
parts
such
as
seats,
cushions,
dashboard,
carpet
fibers,
vacuum,
fuel,
hydraulic,
and
air
hoses,
tires,
body
panels;
and
indicator
lenses
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
interior
paint,
coatings,
door
panels,
upholstery,
dash
boards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
and
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Platinum
and
platinum
group
metals: Palladium,
Rhodium,
Ruthenium,
Osmium,
and
Iridium
(Ores
of
nickel,
gold,
and
platinum
group
metals) -
Native
elements
disseminated
in
ores
of
other
metals.
Separated
by
chemical
and
pyrometallurgical
processes
and
recovery
from
refinery
slimes
produced
from
other
metals.
Automotive
use:
Ignition
parts,
catalytic
convertor,
and
electronic
components.
Used
as
pure
metals
plated
onto
spark
plug
electrodes,
ceramic
meshes,
conductors
and
semiconductors.
Pyrophylite: Pyrophylite -
A
platy
aluminum
silicate.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
grinding,
and
sizing.
Automotive
use:
Interior
trim,
dashboard,
steering
wheel,
tires,
sound
proofing,
weather
stripping,
and
other
plastics
and
rubber
parts.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
interior
door
panels,
trim
parts,
dashboards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
and
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Salt: Halite -
Sodium
chloride.
Separated
by
mining
of
pure
deposits
or
solar
evaporation
from
brines.
Automotive
use:
Intake
manifold,
transmission
housing
and
other
cast
aluminum
parts,
plastic
parts.
As
a
flux
in
recycling
aluminum
and
in
preventing
oxidation
during
casting
of
aluminum
parts,
as
feed
stocks
for
chlorine
manufactured
to
produce
resins
to
make
paints,
interior
door
panels,
trim
parts,
dashboards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Silica: Quartz -
Silicon
dioxide.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
crushing,
screening,
fine
grinding,
and
size
separation.
Automotive
use:
Glass,
electronic
parts,
paints,
plastics,
composites,
engine,
manifolds,
rubber
parts,
lightbulbs,
and
more
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints,
interior
doorpanels,
trim
parts,
dash
boards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
and
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
It
is
the
primary
constituent
of
glass.
Used
as
a
flux
to
smelt
iron
and
copper.
Used
in
molds
for
cast
parts.
Used
to
make
sodium
silicate
"water
glass"
for
adhesives
and
sealants.
Silver: Argentite
and
silver
minerals
disseminated
in
ores
of
other
metals,
especially
lead
and
copper -
Silver
sulfide.
Separated
by
smelting
and
electrolysis.
Automotive
use:
Sound
system,
on
board
computers,
mirrors,
and
electrical
connectors.
Used
as
pure
silver
for
plating
and
as
part
of
electronic
components.
Sodium
carbonate: Trona -
Sodium
carbonate.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
size
reduction,
and
cleaning.
Automotive
use:
Glass,
adhesives,
and
sealants.
Added
to
glass-making
minerals
to
reduce
the
melting
temperature.
Used
to
make
sodium
silicate
'waterfalls'
for
adhesives
and
sealants.
Talc: Talc -
Magnesium
silicate.
Separated
by
selective
mining
crushing,
delamination,
and
particle
size
separation.
Automotive
use:
Spark
plugs,
high
temperature
ceramic
paints,
plastics,
composites,
rubber
parts,
tires,
light
bulb
bases,
and
more.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints,
interior
doorpanels,
trim
parts,
dashboards,
and
composite
bodypanels.
Combined
with
clays,
feldspar,
silica,
and
fluorspar
to
make
ceramic
parts.
Compounded
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Tin: Cassiterite -
Tin
oxide.
Separated
by
roasting,
smelting,
and
electrolysis.
Automotive
use:
Battery,
solder,
plating,
lubricants,
bushings,
tires,
glass,
and
electronics
Alloyed
with
zinc,
lead,
antimony,
then
used
to
float
glass,
and
to
produce
tire
compounds.
Titanium
dioxide: Rutile
and
Ilmenite -
Titanium
dioxide,
iron-titanium
oxide.
Separated
by
gravity
recovery
from
placer
deposits
and
chemical
conversion
to
white
titanium
dioxide.
Automotive
use:
Titanium
dioxide
is
the
white
pigment
in
every
white
coloured
object
in
the
automobile
and
the
base
colour
pigment
in
every
light
coloured
object.
It
is
also
the
ultraviolet
light
ray
blocker
that
prevents
solar
deterioration
of
all
nonmetal
parts
exposed
to
sunlight.
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints,
interior
doorpanels,
trimparts,
dashboards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Compounded
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires,
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Tungsten: Wolframite
and
Scheelite -
Iron
tungstate,
calcium
tungstate.
Separated
by
flotation,
caustic,
digestion,
and
chemical
combination
with
heat.
Automotive
use:
Lamp
filaments,
radio,
computer,
and
machined
metal
parts.
Used
as
a
pure
tungsten
metal
for
lamps,
plated
onto
other
materials
for
electronic
components,
and
used
in
cutting
tools
to
make
machined
parts.
Wollastonite: Wollastonite -
Calcium
silicate.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
crushing,
grinding,
and
particle
size
separation
Automotive
use:
Spark
plugs,
high
temperature
ceramic
paints,
plastics,
composites,
and
rubber
parts
Compounded
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints,
interior
doorpanels,
trim
parts,
dashboards,
and
composite
body
panels.
Combined
with
days,
feldspar,
silica,
and
fluorspar
to
make
spark
plugs
and
other
ceramic
components
Zeolites: Zeolite
deposits -
A
group
of
silicate
minerals.
Separated
by
selective
mining,
chemical
and
thermal
preparation.
Automotive
use:
Gasoline,
used
in
catalytic
refining
of
petroleum
and
filtering
constituents
of
gasolines.
Zinc: Sphalerite -
Zinc
sulfide.
Separated
by
flotation,
roasting,
electrolysis,
and
gas
reduction.
Automotive
use:
Solder,
plating,
battery,
electronic
components,
tires,
and
rust
proofing
Used
as
a
pure
metal
for
galvanizing,
alloyed
with
copper,
tin
and
aluminum.
As
a
white
oxide
pigment
for
compounding
with
other
minerals,
resins,
and
pigments
to
make
paints.
Compounded
with
natural
and
synthetic
rubber
to
make
tires
coolant,
vacuum,
and
fuel
hoses.
Zircon: Zircon -
A
silicate
of
zirconium.
Separated
by
gravity
separation
from
placer
deposits.
Automotive
use:
Ceramics
and
cast
metal
parts.
Used
as
a
constituent
of
specialty
ceramics,
and
for
molds
for
casting
metal
parts.
Ken
A.
Phillips
(Chief
Engineer,
Arizona
Department
of
Mines
and
Mineral
Resources.)