ore mineral
Quick Summary
An ore is a natural aggregation of minerals that can be mined and sold for profit. While historically the term referred only to metallic mineral deposits, it has expanded to include nonmetallics. Only about 100 out of thousands of identified mineral species are considered ore minerals.12
Key ore minerals include hematite and magnetite for iron, chalcopyrite for copper, and sphalerite and galena for zinc and lead, respectively. These minerals are valuable because they can be separated from worthless rock, known as gangue, and processed to extract metals. Sulfide, oxide, and hydroxide minerals are generally preferred ore minerals over silicate minerals because they require less energy to smelt. Metals like copper, uranium, and gold can even be extracted using processes like hydrometallurgy, sometimes with the aid of bacteria.1345
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