Encyclopedia of Global Resources part 149 ppsx

World production capac-ity in 2008 was led by China, Norway, Germany, the United States, Canada, Aus-tria, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, India, France, Venezuela, Japan, and Argentina.. Wor

1386 • Major U.S Mineral Resources by State Global Resources

State Dollar Value Primary Minerals (in order of value)

South Carolina 617,000,000 Cement (portland), stone (crushed), sand and gravel

(construction), cement (masonry), sand and gravel (industrial)

South Dakota 270,000,000 Cement (portland), stone (crushed), gold, sand and

gravel (construction), stone (dimension) Tennessee 856,000,000 Stone (crushed), cement (portland), zinc, sand and

gravel (construction), clays (ball) Texas 3,300,000,000 Cement (portland), stone (crushed), sand and gravel

(construction), salt, lime Utah 4,170,000,000 Copper, molybdenum concentrates, magnesium metal,

gold, potash Vermont 98,800,000 Stone (crushed), sand and gravel (construction), stone

(dimension), talc (crude), gemstones (natural) Virginia 1,090,000,000 Stone (crushed), cement (portland), sand and gravel

(construction), lime, zirconium concentrates Washington 619,000,000 Sand and gravel (construction), stone (crushed), cement

(portland), zinc, gold West Virginia 276,000,000 Stone (crushed), cement (portland), lime, sand and

gravel (industrial), sand and gravel (construction) Wisconsin 575,000,000 Sand and gravel (construction), stone (crushed), sand

and gravel (industrial), lime, stone (dimension) Wyoming 1,890,000,000 Soda ash, clays (bentonite), helium (grade A), sand and

gravel (construction), cement (portland)

Data

1388 • Major Canadian Mineral Resource Production and Values Global Resources

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1390 • Major Canadian Mineral Resource Production and Values Global Resources

The data below are based on the U.S Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2009 Leading pro-ducer nations are based on 2008 estimates.

Resource Description and Leading Producers

Abrasives

(manufactured)

Manufactured abrasives are primarily fused aluminum oxide and silicon carbide, used primarily in bonded and coated abrasive products World production capac-ity in 2008 was led by China, Norway, Germany, the United States, Canada, Aus-tria, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, India, France, Venezuela, Japan, and Argentina Aluminum Aluminum is used in transportation packaging, building, electrical components,

machinery, and consumer durables World production capacity in 2008 was led

by China, Russia, Canada, the United States, Australia, Brazil, India, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Bahrain, South Africa, Iceland, Germany, Vene-zuela, Mozambique, and Tajikistan

Antimony Antimony is used in flame retardants, transportation, batteries, chemicals,

ce-ramics, and glass Leading world mine producers are China, the United States, Bolivia, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Russia

Arsenic Arsenic metal is used to strengthen the grids in lead-acid storage batteries, to

harden small arms ammunition, in bearings as an antifriction additive, in lead shot, and in clip-on wheel weights Arsenic compounds are used in fertilizers, fire-works, herbicides, and insecticides Very pure arsenic is used in the electronics in-dustry for gallium-arsenide semiconductors for solar cells, space research, and telecommunication Arsenic is also used in germanium-arsenide-selenide optical materials, and indium-gallium-arsenide is used in shortwave infrared technology Leading producers include China, Chile, Morocco, Peru, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mexico, and Belgium

Asbestos Although the threats of asbestos fibers to human health (it has been identified as

the cause of mesothelioma) have curtailed its consumption, it is still used in roof-ing products Asbestos is still produced in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Can-ada, and Zimbabwe

Barite In the United States, most barite is used as a weighting agent in gas and oil-well

drill-ing fluids It is also used as a filler, extender, or weightdrill-ing agent in paints, plastics, and rubber; in automobile brake and clutch pads; in automobile paint primer for metal protection and gloss; to add weight to rubber mudflaps on trucks and to the cement jacket around petroleum pipelines under water; in the metal casting industry; for radiation shielding in medical imaging devices and nuclear power plants; and in chemicals found in cathode-ray tubes Leading producers include Morocco, China, India, the United States, Kazakhstan, Iran, Mexico, Turkey, Vietnam, Germany, Algeria, Russia, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Pakistan Bauxite and alumina Most bauxite is converted to alumina to be smelted into aluminum It is also used

to produce abrasives, chemicals, and refractories Leading mine producers are Australia, China, Brazil, India, Guinea, Jamaica, Russia, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Suriname, Greece, Guyana, and Vietnam

1392 • Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers Global Resources

Resource Description and Leading Producers

Beryllium Beryllium is used in computer and telecommunications products, aerospace and

defense applications, appliances, automotive electronics, and industrial compo-nents Leading mine producers are the United States, China, and Mozambique Bismuth Bismuth is used in metallurgical additives, fusible alloys, solders, ammunition

cartridges, pharmaceuticals, and various chemicals It is also an active ingredient

in over-the-counter stomach medications and plays a role in triggering mecha-nisms for fire sprinklers Bismuth is replacing toxic lead compounds in several ap-plications, such as water fixtures, solders, nuclear reactor coolants, and bullets Leading mine producers include China, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Bolivia, Kazakh-stan, and the United States

Boron Sodium borates, borax, boric acid, and other boron compounds are use in glass,

ceramics, soaps, detergents, bleaches, agriculture, enamels, and glazes Leading producers include Turkey, Argentina, the United States, Chile, Russia, China, Bo-livia, Kazakhstan, Peru, and Iran

Bromine Bromine compounds are used in flame retardants (such as those found in

elec-tronic appliances), drilling fluids, pesticides (such as methyl bromide), water treatment, dye manufacture, insect repellents, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, pho-tographic chemical, and intermediate chemicals for the manufacture of other chemical products Leading mine producers are the United States, Israel, China, Jordan, Japan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Germany, and India

Cadmium Most cadmium is used in cadmium-nickel batteries It is also used in pigments,

coatings and platings, stabilizers for plastics, nonferrous alloys, and photovoltaic devices (though health concerns have led to the diminished use of cadmium in these latter applications) Leading refinery producers are China, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the United States, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Peru, and Australia

Cement Cement constitutes portland, masonry, and clinker cement, and it is used

primar-ily by producers of ready-mixed concrete and secondarprimar-ily by contractors and building materials dealers Leading producers are China, India, the United States and Puerto Rico, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Iran, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, and Vietnam

Cesium Cesium is used primarily in cesium formate brines, a dense liquid used as a

drill-ing fluid in oil and gas wells It is also used in atomic clocks, where its vibration maintains accuracy to a few hundred trillionths of a second, which is key to syn-chronizing satellite and Internet communications as well as missile guidance sys-tems Cesium plays a role in DNA separation methods, infrared and night vision instruments, photoelectric cells, and traffic control devices Radioactive isotopes of cesium are used in treating cancer and in a variety of scientific, industrial, and med-ical instruments The leading producer of pollucite concentrate, the source of most cesium, is Canada; reserves are located in Canada, Namibia, and Zimbabwe

Resource Description and Leading Producers

Chromium A strategic resource, chromium is used in the produciton of alloys and

superal-loys, stainless steel, refractory materials, pigments, and chemicals It is also used for dyeing textiles, in leather tanning, and in cleansers of laboratory glassware In its trivalent oxidation state, chromium is an essential trace nutrient for humans and other mammals Leading world mine producers include South Africa, Ka-zakhstan, and India

Clays Clays include ball clay, bentonite, common clay, fire clay, fuller’s earth, and

ka-olin, used in a wide variety of applications, including floor and wall tiles, sanitaryware, absorbents, drilling muds, foundry sand bonds, iron ore pelletiz-ing, bricks, lightweight aggregates, cement, sewer pipes, roofing tiles, flower pots, refractory products, and paper Primary producers of bentonite, fuller’s earth, and kaolin include the United States, Greece, Turkey, the Commonwealth of In-dependent States, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Spain Cobalt Cobalt is used in superalloys (primarily those used to manufacture aircraft gas

turbine engines), cemented carbides for cutting applications, and many differ-ent chemicals Primary mine producers are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Canada, Zambia, Australia, Russia, Cuba, China, Morocco, New Caledo-nia, and Brazil

Copper Copper and copper alloys (such as brass) are used to manufacture a wide variety

of products for building construction, electric products and electronics, trans-portation equipment, consumer goods, and industrial machinery and equip-ment Leading world producers are Chile, Peru, the United States, China, Austra-lia, Russia, Indonesia, Canada, Zambia, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Mexico

Diamond (industrial) Industrial diamonds are used in the production of computer chips, construction,

machinery manufacturing, mining (drilling), stonecutting and stone polishing, and transportation system infrastructures Synthetic diamond has overtaken nat-ural diamond for most of these applications Natnat-ural diamonds remain prized as gemstones Leading producers of industrial diamond include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, Russia, South Africa, Botswana, and China Diatomite Diatomite is used in filter aids, cement additives, absorbents, fillers, special

phar-maceutical and biomedical applications, art supplies, cosmetics, and DNA extrac-tion Major world producers are the United States, China, Denmark, Japan, the Commonwealth of Independent States, France, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Germany, Peru, Spain, Iceland, Chile, Italy, and Costa Rica

Feldspar Feldspar is used in glassmaking, pottery and ceramics, and fillers, including

ce-ramic tiles, glass fiber insulation, and plumbing fixtures Leading mine produc-ers include Italy, Turkey, China, Thailand, Japan, France, Spain, the United States, the Czech Republic, Mexico, South Korea, Poland, Egypt, Argentina, Iran, Malaysia, Venezuela, Germany, India, Portugal, Brazil, and Colombia

1394 • Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers Global Resources

Resource Description and Leading Producers

Fluorspar (fluorite) The production of hydrofluoric acid and aluminum fluoride are among the chief

uses of fluorspar Hydrofluoric acid, in turn, is used in making most fluorine-containing chemicals and plays a major role in the manufacture of aluminum and uranium Fluorspar also has applications in steelmaking, iron and steel cast-ing, aluminum production, glass manufacture, enamels, welding rod coatings, and cement production Primary world mine producers include China, Mexico, Mongolia, South Africa, Russia, Spain, Namibia, Kenya, and Morocco

Gallium Gallium, in the form of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride, is used mainly in

electronic components, followed by its use in integrated circuits, laser diodes, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, solar cells, research and development, and specialty alloys Primary producers are China, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, followed by Hungary, Japan, Russia, and Slovakia The United States also produces refined gallium

Garnet Industrial garnet is used in waterjet cutting, abrasive blasting media, water

filtra-tion, and abrasive powders In addifiltra-tion, gem-quality garnets are used in jewelry Leading producers include Australia, India, the United States, and China

Gemstones Synthetic and natural gemstones include, among others, agate, beryl, coral,

em-erald, garnet, jade, jasper, opal, pearl, quartz, ruby, sapphire, shell, topaz, tour-maline, and turquoise They are used in jewelry, carvings, collections, ornamen-tation for furnishings, and artworks The industrial uses of natural gemstones such as diamond and garnet have largely been taken over by their synthetic ver-sions Leading producers of gemstones include Botswana, Russia, Canada, An-gola, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, Guyana, Australia, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil, and China

Germanium Germanium and its compounds are found in fiber-optic devices, infrared optics,

polymerization catalysts, electronics, and solar electric applications The leading world refinery producer is the United States

Gold Gold is used in jewelry, artworks, electrical devices, electronics, and dental work

China is the leading gold-producing nation, followed by South Africa, the United States, Australia, Peru, Russia, Canada, Indonesia, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Uzbekistan

Graphite Natural graphite has a broad variety of uses, including refractory applications,

steelmaking, foundry operations, brake linings, batteries, and lubricants Mine producers are led by China, follwed by India, Brazil, North Korea, Canada, Mex-ico, Ukraine, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Norway Gypsum Gypsum is used in the manufacture of wallboard and plaster products,

agricul-ture (in soil amendments), smelting, glassmaking, and other industrial applica-tions Leading mine producers are China, the United States, Iran, Spain, Thai-land, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Italy, France, Australia, India, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Algeria, Austria, and Uruguay

Resource Description and Leading Producers

Helium Helium is used in cryogenics, pressurizing and purging, welding cover gas,

con-trolled atmospheres, leak detection, and breathing mixtures Leading producers are the United States, Algeria, Qatar, Russia, and Poland

Indium Indium is used primarily in the production of indium tin oxide (ITO) for ITO

thin-film coatings in electrical conductors used in flat-panel devices and liquid crystal displays (LCDs) It is also used in alloys, compounds, electrical compo-nents, semiconductors, and research World refinery producers include China, Ja-pan, South Korea, Canada, Belgium, Russia, and Peru

Iodine Iodine is used in intermediate compounds such as ethyl and methyl iodide, crude

iodine, potassium iodide, sodium iodide, povidine-iodine (iodophors), and ethylenediamine dihydroiodide End uses are found in the pharmaceutical and sanitation industries—for example, in contrast media used for X-ray imaging Io-dine was once used in coatings for film, but digital imaging has led to a decline in that use Iodine is also an essential dietary mineral The leading producer is Chile, distantly followed by Japan, China, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, In-donesia, and Uzbekistan

Iron ore Iron ore is mined to extract iron for intermediate processing as concentrates,

coarse ores, fine ores, pellets, briquettes, and sinter Primary end uses are in wrought and cast irons and as the primary alloy in steel manufacture The world’s leading mine producer is China, followed by Brazil, Australia, India, Russia, Ukraine, the United States, South Africa, Canada, Iran, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Mauritania, and Mexico

Kyanite and related

minerals

Most kyanite (in the form of kyanite-mullite) is used in refractories, of which more than half is in turn used for ironmaking and steelmaking and the rest for the production of chemicals, glass, nonferrous metals, and other materials The world’s leading mine producer is South Africa, followed by the United States, France, and India

Lead The major use of lead is in lead-acid batteries (which are used in igniters and

start-ers), with the remainder used mainly in ammunition, casting material, pipes, sheets (such as those used fo block radiation), traps, extruded products, cable coverings, caulking lead, solders, oxides for ceramics, chemicals, glass, pigments, counterweights, brass and bronze, foil, terne metal, type metal, and wire Primary mine producers include China, Australia, the United States, Peru, Mexico, Can-ada, India, Sweden, Ireland, Poland, South Africa, Kazakhstan, and Morocco Lime Lime is used in the steelmaking, flue gas desulfurization, construction, water

treatment, mining, precipitated calcium carbonate, and pulp and paper indus-tries Leading producers are China, the United States, Japan (quicklime), Russia, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, France, Turkey, Iran, Belgium, Canada, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, and South Africa

Lithium Lithium is used in batteries, ceramics and glass, lubricating greases,

pharmaceuti-cals and polymers, air-conditioning, primary aluminum production, continuous casting, and chemical processing Leading mine producers are Chile, Australia, China, Argentina, Canada, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Brazil, and the United States