We all know what mining is- the extraction of a resource, usually a mineral, metal or fuel, from the ground. What we aren’t necessarily aware of is that you don’t have to be living in the Yukon or Alaska to “strike gold”. Other than gold, there are many other valuable commodities that are mined, deposits of which might be sitting under the ground you and your house stand on. Stop thinking about what you can build on your property and start thinking what is hidden under the surface. Here are 6 minerals, some which you have never heard of, that you’d be lucky to have a mine of right now.
Tantalum
Tantalum is a corrosion-resistant metal often used as a platinum substitute in electronics like phones, DVD players and computers. It is a hard, transition metal of a dark blue colour that is mined in Central Africa, Australia, Brazil, China and Canada.
Trona
Otherwise known as trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate, this mineral is mostly mined in order to get sodium carbonate. It’s also used for making glass, fibreglass, and in other such industrial processes, even as a food additive! You’ll find natural deposits of Trona in Wyoming and California as well as areas in the Nile River Valley.
Limestone
One that you might be more familiar with is limestone, a relatively soft sedimentary rock that has a number of uses, from cement, concrete, to asphalt, and covers large areas of the United States. Limestone quarries and mines are known to be relatively long-lived and can generate a great stream of revenue upon investment. Though open pit quarries are an easier and more cost-effective method of extracting limestone, many authorities insist on tunnel mining for environmental reasons, meaning you’ll be looking for a full service underground mining equipment provider.
Aluminum
What do you already know about aluminum? Probably that it’s relatively durable and has an extremely low density. That’s exactly what makes it such a hot commodity and perfect for uses like transportation, shipping, or structural design. Though it is not found isolated in nature, aluminum alloys, oxides and sulfates are mined and smelted to remove the oxygen from the ore and create a more “pure” version that can be used in a number of ways.
Almadine
Almadine is the most popular member of the garnet family and can be seen used both as a desirable gemstone and as an industrial grade abrasive. Though most often mined in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, it can also be found in deposits located in Italy, Australia and areas near Alaska. A very small percent of almadine is polished and used as a beautiful red-purple accent for jewelry, but coarser pieces can still be crushed and used in “garnet paper”, a powerful abrasive.
Zeolite
This strange sounding mineral is both mined and synthetically produced. It is used as an ion-exchange bed and as a result has the label of being both a catalyst and an adsorbent. One of its most popular uses is in laundry detergents and water purification systems. Zeolite naturally occurs in Asia, parts of Europe including Slovakia, and in the United States.
So if you are out looking for a smart investment, don’t discount that of mineral and metal mining. Though not necessarily in line with the trend to invest in services, applications, and hi-tech businesses, don’t forget that the American economy was built on natural resources, and today, thanks to the development of technology, we can more easily detect, assess, and extract the value hidden underground. Start looking for properties which possibly hide deposits of metals, minerals, fuels or gems that will have you calling “jackpotâ€!
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