Manganese, Phosphate and Coal Mining

Manganese, Phosphate and Coal Mining A Comparative Study

Introduction This comparative study was undertaken in order to help Mr. Businessman, who have decided to increase his earnings through mining, choose wisely among three project proposals. All three mining industries entail a huge amount of financial investment, thus, requiring the expert advice of a mineral expert/geologist, an economist and an industrialist. With this extensive comparative study, it is expected that Mr. Businessman will eventually be able to make the right decision and put his money into good use.

Manganese

Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn with an atomic number of 25. It is found as a free element in nature (often in combination with iron), and in many minerals. It is a grey white, hard, yet brittle metal which resembles iron.

It has paramagnetic properties, which means that it demonstrates strong magnetic characteristics in the presence of external magnetic field. It, however, is not magnetic by itself. Manganese is used as a key component in the iron and steel manufacturing industries. The processing of iron is the largest consuming sector of manganese and it contributes to about about 85% of its production. Manganese is also used as a key element of stainless steel alloys and some aluminum alloys.

Manganese is a reactive element that easily combines with ions in water and air. In the Earth, manganese is found in a number of minerals of different chemical and physical properties, but is never found as a free metal in nature. The most important mineral is pyrolusite, because it is the main ore mineral for manganese. Trace amounts of manganese are very important to good health. It makes bones strong yet flexible, and it aids the body in absorbing Vitamin B1. It also is an important activator for the body to use enzymes. As little as 0.00002% Mn in the human body is essential. Studies have shown that a lack of manganese leads to infertility in animals.

Sources of Manganese Over 80% of the known world manganese resources are found in South Africa and Ukraine. Other important manganese deposits are in China, Australia, Brazil, Gabon, India, and Mexico. The United States imports manganese ore because the manganese resources in the U.S. are relatively low in manganese content per ton of ore. Importing these ores is presently more economic than mining them locally. Most manganese ore imported to the United States is used to manufacture intermediate manganese ferroalloy products and electrolytic manganese for use in dry-cell batteries. Only a small amount of the ore is directly used in the steel making process.

Sources of Manganese Deep-sea nodules of manganese and other metals are scattered on the ocean floor. They form when the hot waters from hot springs (called black smokers) on the ocean bottom meet the cold, deep ocean water. The elements in the hot volcanic waters precipitate as nodules. Though rich in manganese (nearly 25% manganese) they are very deep in the ocean and it would cost too much to make them worth retrieving. This may prove to be an important source of manganese in the future should reserves in the Earth's crust be depleted and cost-effective deep-sea mining methods are discovered.

Uses of Manganese

Phosphate

In 2007, at the current rate of consumption, the supply of phosphorus was estimated to run out in 345 years. However, scientists are now claiming that a "Peak Phosphorus" will occur in 30 years and that "At current rates, reserves will be depleted in the next 50 to 100 years."

In ecological terms, because of its important role in biological systems, phosphate is a highly sought after resource. Once used, it is often a limiting nutrient in environments, and its availability may govern the rate of growth of organisms. • This is generally true of freshwater environments, whereas nitrogen is more often the limiting nutrient in marine (seawater) environments. Addition of high levels of phosphate to environments and to micro-environments in which it is typically rare can have significant ecological consequences. • For example, blooms in the populations of some organisms at the expense of others, and the collapse of populations deprived of resources such as oxygen (see eutrophication) can occur. • In the context of pollution, phosphates are one component of total dissolved solids, a major indicator of water quality.

Phosphate deposits can contain significant amounts of naturally occurring heavy metals. • Mining operations processing phosphate rock can leave tailings piles containing elevated levels of cadmium, lead, nickel, copper, chromium, and uranium. • Unless carefully managed, these waste products can leach heavy metals into groundwater or nearby estuaries. • Uptake of these substances by plants and marine life can lead to concentration of toxic heavy metals in food products.

Coal

Coal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. • The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure. • Coal is composed primarily of carbon along with variable quantities of other elements, chiefly sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

Market Value of the three mining minerals for the past years …

http://www.infomine.com/investment/charts.aspx?mv=1&f=f&r=1y&c=ccoal.xusd.umt,cmanganese.xusd.umt,cphosphates.xusd.umt#charthttp://www.infomine.com/investment/charts.aspx?mv=1&f=f&r=1y&c=ccoal.xusd.umt,cmanganese.xusd.umt,cphosphates.xusd.umt#chart

Cost of Mining

Environmental and Social Impact

Conclusion

Manganese, Phosphate and Coal Mining

Manganese, Phosphate and Coal Mining

Presentation Transcript

Coal Mining

Bituminous Coal Mining

Coal Mining

Coal Mining

Mining - Coal

Coal Mining

Manganese, Phosphate and Coal Mining

Coal Mining

Coal mining

Coal Mining.

Coal Mining

Coal Mining Debate!

Coal Mining

Australian Coal Mining

Anthracite Coal Mining

Coal Mining

Investing In Coal and Coal Mining Process

Metalliferous and Coal Mining Solutions

Historic Coal Mining

Coal Mining Activities

Coal Mining