Chemistry Notes Year 11

Chemistry Notes Year 11

8.3 Metals

The relative abundance and ease of extraction of metals influences their value and breadth of use in the community

Define the terms mineral and ore with reference to economic and non-economic deposits of natural resources
Mineral: a natural substance occurring in the Earth’s crust, which is a compound (hence pure) with a definite composition and crystalline structure e.g. Al2O3. Minerals may or may not be ores; depending on how economic it is to extract a substance from them.

Ore: a compound or mixture of compounds (or minerals) from which it is economic to extract a substance such as a metal e.g. bauxite (contains mineral Al2O3)

Discuss the importance or predicting yield in the identification, mining and extraction of commercial ore deposits
-Yield: he amount of product (e.g.: a metal) derived from a chemical process (often expressed as a percentage of the maximum theoretical amount
-Mining companies maximise profits by ensuring a high yield
-Loses occur during mining and excavation, so the actual yield of metal is less than the theoretical yield
-Improving efficiencies and extraction methods, the yield of metal can be increased

Describe the relationship between the commercial prices of common metals, their actual abundances and relative costs of production
Costs of Exploration and Establishment of Mine and Extraction Plant
-Once an economically viable ore body is discovered and characterised, a large amount of money must be raised to set up the mining operation
-Expenses include:
-Buildings
-Smelters
-Machinery
-Sites for the safe disposal of waste
-Miner’s salaries
-Housing for each miner’s family
Transportation Costs:
-Various types of transport are involved in mining and marketing of metals and ores:
-Truck
-Rail
-Shipping
-Mining companies my need to build their own railway line to the coast; so that bulk carriers can transport the product overseas
-More remote the mine; more...