Rock vs Ore vs Mineral

Rock vs Ore vs Mineral

Minerals are integral part of the rock or ore; they are elements of nature or natural compounds with fixed chemical composition and physical and chemical properties, after natural physical and chemical effects and biochemical effects in the earth's crust. Most of the minerals are natural compound, such as magnetite (Fe3O4), quartz (SiO2), a small parts are natural elements, such as the nature of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), graphite (C), etc.

Rocks are collections of one or more minerals, formed in a variety of geological processes. It is the substance of the earth's crust (lithosphere), and can be divided into three categories according to the origin: igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks.

Ores are useful metals or other compounds that can be extracted from rocks in the present industrial technical conditions. It is usually composed of two parts: useful minerals and gangue minerals.

e. g.

Feldspars are important raw minerals for ceramic, glass, refractory and so forth. They are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals, and present in igneous rocks and in many types of metamorphic rock and sedimentary rock, which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust. Moon’s crust is made up by feldspars. Their chemical compositions include Al₂O₃, SiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O, etc. Sometimes magnetite, chromite, hematite, mica, biotite are found in feldspar ores, which can be reduced after high intensity magnetic separation, flotation, etc.