Materials

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The mining industry is a broad sector, with oil/coal/natural gas mining being the largest segment. The next largest segment is iron ore/steel mining. Crude oil is converted into petroleum and petroleum products, coal and natural gas are directly used, and iron ore is sent to smelters to make steel.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The next segment in the mining industry is the mining of non-ferrous metals (non-iron type metals) like Copper, Zinc, Lead, silver, gold, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, and</span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">cadmium. The ore obtained in these cases has only &gt;1 to 15% mineral content. Hence, further ore processing is required to purify the mineral with a 35-60% metal content. The beneficiation process that is generally used is froth flotation. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The froth floatation process is like a glorified washing machine in which various chemicals </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">like</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> detergents, fabric softeners, and</span> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">bleaches are added to clean the ore. The only major difference between froth flotation and a washing machine is we are trying to selectively pick up the &gt;1 to 15% mineral from the ore.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The various chemicals used in the froth floatation process: </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Frothers</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">: Create high-quality froth that does not collapse immediately. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Collector</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">: This is the </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">main</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> detergent that selectively extracts the mineral from the ore and brings it to the froth. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Activators</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">: These bind to the surface of the mineral, activating the surface so that the collector can selectively pick the metal. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Modifiers</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">: Change a mineral's characteristics and ensure it attaches to the collector. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Depressants</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">: They are used to suppress impurities like graphite that may form in the froth and reduce the purity of the collected metal. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The chemical recipe changes depending on the geological mix of ore and the mineral content. There are geological variations from one mine site to another. There are several belts of mine sites across the world. Some of the largest mines are located in :</span></p><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">African belt</span></li><li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Iran - Saudi Arabia belt (expanding very quickly)</span></li><li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Russia &ndash; Central Asian belt</span></li><li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">South American Belt</span></li><li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">South-East Asia - Australian belt</span></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">This industry is truly&nbsp;</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">a global industry</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">, but most of the chemicals required are made only in China.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>