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Questions
How can the ores be classified? Give at least one example of each type of ore.
How are the ores classified?
Very Long Answer
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Solution
Ores may be classified into following categories:
- Native ores: Ores contain metals in their elemental form, along with impurities such as clay and sand.
- Sulphide ores: These ores contain metals in the form of sulphides, such as copper pyrites (CuFeS2), zinc blende (ZnS), and galena (PbS).
- Oxidised ores: Metals can be found in ores as oxides, carbonates, sulphates, silicates, phosphates, or their hydrated forms. Some instances are shown below.
- Oxide ores: Bauxite (Al2O3 . 2H2O), zincite (ZnO), pyrolusite (MnO2), haematite (Fe2O3), etc.
- Carbonate ores: Magnesite (MgCO3), calamine (ZnCO3), malachite [Cu(OH) . CuCO3], etc.
- Sulphate ores: Barytes (BaSO4), epsomite (MgSO4 . 7H2O), gypsum (CaSO4 . 2H2O), etc.
- Silicate ores: Spodumene [LiAl(SiO3)2, asbestos (CaSiO3 . 3MgSiO3), etc.
- Halide ores: Unique ores consisting of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, aluminium, and silver. For instance, rock salt (NaCl), carnalite (KCl . MgCl2 . 6H2O), fluorspar (CaF2), cryolite (Na3AlF6), horn silver (AgCl), and more.
- Complex ores: These are the mixtures of several minerals. For example, lepidolite [(Li, Na, K)2 . Al2(SiO3) . (F, OH)2], triphylite [(Li, Na)3 PO4 . (Fe, Mn)3 (PO4)2], etc.
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Notes
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