Ores of Metals

Subject: Science

Overview

Ores are minerals extracted from mines, containing contaminants that are removed to produce metals. Metal concentrations vary, making extraction easier or more costly. Iron ores include hematite, magnetite, siderite, and lithium. Aluminum ores include bauxite, copper pyrite, silver ores like argentite, and gold ores found in natural rocks and alluvial soil.

Ores

The ores that are extracted from mines contain a great deal of contaminants. These ores can only provide metals if these impurities are eliminated.

The physical and chemical characteristics of the materials present in the ores determine how impurities are removed from them.

Minerals vary in the amount of metal they contain. Certain minerals have higher concentrations of metals, making it easier and more cost-effective to extract the metals from them, whereas other minerals have lower concentrations of metals, making it more difficult and costly to do so. The ore of a metal is the mineral from which the metal can be economically and widely mined. Ores are not the minerals that are difficult to extract metals from. In other words, all minerals are not ores, but all ores are minerals. Many ores are utilized to produce the metals that we use on a daily basis.

Ores of Iron

  • Hematite (Fe2O3)
  • Magnetite (Fe3O4)
  • Siderite (FeCO3)
  • Limonite (2Fe2O3.3H2O)
  • Iron pyrite (FeS2)

Hematite is the main iron resource among them. It has almost 75% of the maximum quantity of iron.

Ores of Aluminum

  • Bauxite (2AI2O3.2H2O)
  • Cryolite (Na3AlF6)
  • Corundum (Al2O3)

Among these ores, bauxite is the chief ore of aluminum, which contains about 40–60% of aluminum.

Ores of Copper

  • Chalcocite or copper glance (Cu2S)
  • Copper pyrite or chalcopyrite (CuFeS2)
  • Cuprite (Cu2O)
  • Malachite [Cu2(OH)2CO3]

The primary copper ore, known as copper pyrite or chalcopyrite, contains approximately 34.5% copper.

Ores of Silver

  • Argentite (Ag2S) 
  • Horn silver (AgCl)
  • Ruby silver (Ag2Sb2S3) 
  • Silver copper glance (Ag(Cu)2S)

Among these, the chief ore of silver is argentite, which consists of about 87% silver. 

Ores of Gold

Pure gold can be found in the natural world or in gold ores. Since gold is a non-reactive metal, it exists in its purest form. It is mostly found in rocks and the alluvial soil that is derived from them.
Things to remember
  • Ores are minerals that contain contaminants and are extracted from mines to produce metals.
  • Iron ores include hematite, magnetite, siderite, and lithium.
  • Aluminum ores include bauxite, chromium, and chromium.
  • Copper ores include chalcopyrite, copper pyrite, and argentite.
  • Silver ores include argentite, which contains 87%.
  • Gold, a non-reactive metal, is found in rocks and alluvial soil.

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