Chapter 2 Classification, Distribution and Uses of Ores and Ore Deposits 2.1 Classifications of Ores The geological literature contains many schemes for classifying ore minerals. Some have an economic basis linked to the end use of the metal or mineral; others depend partly or entirely on geologic factors. 2.1.1 Classifications Based on the Use of the Metal or Ore Mineral In older books it is common to find minerals classified, as in Table 2.1, according to the use that is made of the metal or mineral extracted from the ore. Table 2.2 contains some of the minerals that are mined for copper. We see that this metal is extracted from various types of sulfides and sulfosalts, as well as from sulfates, carbonates, oxides and in rare cases as a native metal. Copper is one of the “base metals”, a term that refers to a group of common metals, dominated by the tran- sition elements, which are widely used in industry. Gold and platinum are classed as “precious metals”. Other classes of ores comprise minerals that are used in their natural state, without refinement or extraction of a specific element. Barite, a sulfate of the heavy element barium, is employed to increase the density of the fluids (“muds”) used when drilling for oil. Uranium and coal are sources of energy. Various types of hard minerals are used as abrasives; garnet and industrial diamond are two examples, as is feldspar (next time you buy a tube of toothpaste, read the list of ingredients to see if it contains “sodium-aluminium silicate”). This type of table provides a useful link between the various types of ores and the use that society makes of them. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 N. Arndt et al., Metals and Society, Springer Mineralogy, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-17232-3_2 15