Ore
Ore
Omega-3 fatty acid
<catset>Category="Economic geology"</catset>[image] [image] [image] [image] <dl> <dt><dd><span><i>For other uses, see <a href="Ore (disambiguation)">Ore (disambiguation)</a>.</i></span> </dl> An <b>ore</b> is a <a href="Mineral">Mineral</a> deposit containing a <a href="Metal">Metal</a> or other valuable resource in economically viable concentrations. Usually, it is used in the context of a mineral deposit from which it is <i>economical</i> to <a href="Extractive metallurgy">extract</a> its metallic component. Ores are <a href="Mining">mined</a>.<p>Ore minerals are generally <a href="Oxide">oxides</a>, <a href="Sulfide">sulfides</a>, <a href="Silicate minerals">silicates</a>, or native metals that are not commonly concentrated in the Earth's <a href="Crust (geology)">crust</a>. The ores must be processed to extract the metals of interest from the waste rock and from the ore minerals.<p>Ore bodies are formed by a variety of <a href="Geology">geological</a> processes. The abundance of an ore will directly affect the costs associated with mining the ore and the subsequent cost of the metal extracted.<h2 style="margin: 0; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaaaaa; font-size: 150%;">Important ore minerals</h2><ul> <li><a href="Argentite">Argentite</a>: Ag<sub>2</sub>S <li><a href="Barite">Barite</a>: BaSO<small><sub>4</sub></small> <li><a href="Beryl">Beryl</a>: Be<sub>3</sub>Al<sub>2</sub>(SiO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>6</sub> <li><a href="Bornite">Bornite</a>: Cu<small><sub>5</sub></small>FeS<small><sub>4</sub></small> <li><a href="Cassiterite">Cassiterite</a>: SnO<small><sub>2</sub></small> <li><a href="Chalcocite">Chalcocite</a>: Cu<small><sub>2</sub></small>S <li><a href="Chalcopyrite">Chalcopyrite</a>: CuFeS<small><sub>2</sub></small> <li><a href="Chromite">Chromite</a>: (Fe,Mg)Cr<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> <li><a href="Cinnabar">Cinnabar</a>: HgS <li><a href="Cobaltite">Cobaltite</a>: (Co,Fe)AsS <li><a href="Ferrocolumbite">Columbite</a>-<a href="Tantalite">Tantalite</a> or <a href="Coltan">Coltan</a>: (Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>6</sub></small> <li><a href="Galena">Galena</a>: PbS <li><a href="Gold">Gold</a>: Au <li><a href="Hematite">Hematite</a>: Fe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> <li><a href="Ilmenite">Ilmenite</a>: FeTiO<small><sub>3</sub></small> <li><a href="Magnetite">Magnetite</a>: Fe<small><sub>3</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> <li><a href="Molybdenite">Molybdenite</a>: MoS<small><sub>2</sub></small> <li><a href="Pentlandite">Pentlandite</a>:(Fe,Ni)<small><sub>9</sub></small>S<small><sub>8</sub></small> <li><a href="Scheelite">Scheelite</a>: CaWO<small><sub>4</sub></small> <li><a href="Sphalerite">Sphalerite</a>: ZnS <li><a href="Uraninite">Uraninite</a>: UO<small><sub>2</sub></small> <li><a href="Wolframite">Wolframite</a>: (Fe,Mn)WO<small><sub>4</sub></small> </ul>