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Science8 Mineral Resources: Mining

SOURCE: FuseSchool, Minerals and ores - The extraction of minerals, available on YouTube (2013), Duration: 5:59 mins, URL: https://youtu.be/fZM_NF93gWo

See the other videos available on YouTube by FuseSchool:

Chemistry: Extraction using heat

Chemistry: Uses of Metals

Chemistry: Transition Metals

Chemistry: Alkali Metals (Group 2.)

Metal Extraction

Key Concepts

  • The Earth's crust contains many different rocks.
  • Rocks are mixtures of minerals.
  • A mineral can be either an element or a compound.
  • A metal ore is a mixture of minerals containing the metal, and other materials in the rock, from which it is economically viable to extract the metal.
  • A high grade ore produces a high yield of metal. A low grade order produces a low yield of metal.
  • Most metal ores occur as a metal oxide, a metal sulfide or a metal carbonate.
  • The more active (or reactive) a metal is, the more stable the compound it forms.
    most reactive elements → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least reactive elements
    potassium > calcium > sodium > magnesium > aluminium > zinc > iron > nickel > tin > lead > copper > silver > platinum > gold
    most stable compounds → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least stable compounds
     
  • The more stable the compound is, the more energy is required to separate the metal in the metal ore.
    most reactive elements → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least reactive elements
    most stable compounds → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least stable compounds
    potassium > calcium > sodium > magnesium > aluminium > zinc > iron > nickel > tin > lead > copper > silver > platinum > gold
    more energy to extract metal from ore → → → → → → → → → → → → → → less energy to extract metal from ore
     
  • The least active metals are found in nature as elements (native metals).

    When the least active metals are found as compounds, they can be extracted from their ores by heating in air (roasting in air).

Moderately active metals can be extracted by heating their ores with a suitable reducing agent (thermal reduction). 

Highly active metals can be extracted from their ores using electricity (electrolysis).

most reactive elements → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least reactive elements
most stable compounds → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least stable compounds
more energy to extract metal from ore → → → → → → → → → → → → → → less energy to extract metal from ore
potassium > calcium > sodium > magnesium > aluminium > zinc > iron > nickel > tin > lead > copper > silver > platinum > gold
electrolytic extraction thermal reduction native metals
roasting ore in air
 
  • Metals that require the least amount of energy to extract, those that occur in nature as the element (native metals) were the first metals used by humans in ancient times. 

Metals that require a moderate amount of energy to extract, that is, those that can be extracted by heating their ores, were the next to be used widely.

Highly reactive metals requiring huge amounts of energy to extract have only been used in more modern times.

most reactive elements → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least reactive elements
most stable compounds → → → → → → → → → → → → → → least stable compounds
more energy to extract metal from ore → → → → → → → → → → → → → → less energy to extract metal from ore
electrolytic extraction thermal reduction native metals
roasting ore in air
potassium > calcium > sodium > magnesium > aluminium > > iron > > > tin > > copper > > gold
Elements isolated in the 19th Century ← Iron Age
(1000 B.C. - 1 C.E.)		 ← Bronze Age - heating copper and tin ores
(2300-1000 B.C.)		 ← Copper Age
(3200-2300 B.C.)

SOURCE: AUS-e-TUTE, 22 June 2019, Metal Extraction Concepts Chemistry Tutorial, https://www.ausetute.com.au/metalextract.html

Extraction: Smelting Oxides

Extraction: Smelting Sulfides

Electrolytic Extraction

Refining Metals

Alloys