1. Scarce Metals

2. Scarce Metals
"The geochemically scarce metals are the enzymes of industry. It is their special properties that have led to such technological marvels as the generation and distribution of electricity, the telephone, radio and television, automobiles, aircraft, rockets, computers and the Internet. Yet it is in this same group of metals that many experts once believed shortages and restrictions of natural resources might appear. "

3. Scarce Metals
"When the world's annual production of iron has, for many years, been a 100 million tons or more, only four (really five) of the geochemically scarce metals have ever been produced at rates that exceed 1 million tons a year."
page 280, Resources of the Earth

4. Scarce Metals
Classified on the basis of usage

5. Ferrous or ferro-alloy
V Vanadium
Ni Nickel
Mo Molybdenum
Cr Chromium
Co Cobalt
W Tungsten

6. Non Ferrous or Base Metal
Cu, Pb, Zn, Sn, Hg, Cd

7. PGE—Platinum Group Elements
Precious Au Ag
PGE—Platinum Group Elements
Pt, Pd, Ir, Os, Rh, Ru

8. Special Metals
For example
Ta Tantalum
Be Beryllium

9. Ferro Alloy
We will start with those metals used in making steel

10. Chromium (Cr) Crustal average 96 ppm Uses Steel industry 12-36 wt%
Refractory
Chemical
Pigment—yellow to bright orange or deep green
Tanning--Cr in solution forms bonds with amino acids in leather—stabilizes organic material

11. In Millions of metric tons
Producers 2006
In Millions of metric tons
India 3.3
Kazakhstan 3.6
South Africa 8.0
Other 5.0

12. In millions of metric tons
Reserves
In millions of metric tons
India 25
Kazakhstan 290
South Africa 160
World unavailable

13. Chromite: the ore mineral

14. Geological Occurrence
Restricted to Igneous Rocks
Mafic—rich in Fe and Mg
Podiform
Stratiform

15. Location of Chromite Deposits
Kelser’s book

16. Locations of Podiform Chromite
GSA Today
Article: pp. 4–11 | Abstract | PDF (12.55M)
Archean Podiform Chromitites and Mantle Tectonites in Ophiolitic Mélange, North China Craton: A Record of Early Oceanic Mantle Processes
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Geological Setting
Discussion and Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References Cited
Figures
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Jianghai Li
Timothy M. Kusky
Xiongnan Huang
Jianghai Li1, Timothy M. Kusky2, *, Xiongnan Huang3 2002

17. Geologic Map Bushveld Complex

18. Eroding layers

19. Rhythmic layering, Bushveld

20. Vanadium Found in “solid solution” in magnetite.
V is mined as a by product of other mining
Only makes up 0.014% wt% of crust

21. Uses of Vanadium Tanning and pigments (since 1830) Steel (since 1896)
Only need as much as 0.2 wt%--increases strength

22. Geological Occurrence
Mafic layered intrusions
Sedimentary from weathering
Concentrated in organic matter
Coal wt%
Crude oil wt%
Tar sands wt% to 0.05wt%

23. Location of V Deposits
Kelser’s book

24. Vanadium Production
2007 pdf files of V from USGS

25. Nickel 72 ppm in the crust 1781--pure metal Takes its name from:
Discovered in Saxony—Cu Mines
Minors tried to smelt some of the Cu ore
Kupfernickel—Old Nick’s Cu

26. Uses Initially electroplating (Michael Faraday) Now > 50% in steel
>30% in non ferrous alloys and Superalloys

27. Major Producers
Russia
Canada
Australia
New Caledonia
Indonesia

28. Location of Ni Deposits

29. Geological Occurrence
Igneous
Sudbury, Ontario
Ore mineral pentlandite
Sedimentary
Laterites (4 to 5 wt% in Ni silicate)
Ore mineral garnierite

31. Resources/Reserves
We’ve already covered this in our Ni problem earlier on

32. Molybdenum
1.2 ppm in the crust
1778—new element
1893 pure metal

33. Uses As a Sulfide As a Metal Lubricant Orange pigment
Steel: 0.1 to 10% added to steel
Makes it tough and resilient
Could replace W steels for high speed cutting tools

34. Producers
USGS 2007 PDF file

35. Geological Occurrence
Igneous
Plate boundaries--porphyries

36. Environmental Problems
Large amounts of waste rock
Very large scars on the land

37. Cobalt Has been known as a blue coloring agent for thousands of years
28 ppm in crust
Kobolds—Ag Stealing goblins

38. Uses Steel Superalloys Chemical Applications up to 5% Co in steel
Major use
Chemical Applications
Coloring, tanning, Co compounds

39. Major Producer/Reserves
Kinshasa
PDF file

40. Geological Occurrence
Sedimentary
Black shales
Laterites

41. Tungsten 1 ppm in crust Highest melting point Highest tensile strength
1855—added to steel in France WC
Light filaments

42. Geological Occurrence
Igneous
Convergent Plate Boundaries

43. Producers
China!
Pdf file