Classification of Minerals

CLASSIFICATION

Minerals may be classified according to their use in industry as follows.
(a) Metallic minerals: ferrous group. They include minerals like iron, chromite, manganese and nickel.
(b) Metallic minerals: non-ferrous group. These feature copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, aluminium, vanadium among others.
(c) Non-metallic minerals. They are mica, steatite, asbestos and others.
(d) Refractory minerals. They are used as heat resis­tants in furnaces and moulds. They include chromite, magnesite, kyanite, fireclays, sillimanite and graphite.
(e) Fertiliser minerals such as gypsum, rock phosphate and pyrite.
(f) Mineral fuels such. as coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear minerals.