Differences Between Sulfides And Oxides

Mining has always been a popular business sector in industry. Because of mining, we get to enjoy different jewelries that are made to be durable even over a long period of time. Research has shown that in 2011 mining earned approximately 805 million dollars for the government, which an increase of 114 million dollars from the year before. To add to this, mining has over 9000 employees and employers. Therefore, it is clear that mining has indeed been a very beneficial business sector to the economy. However it might not be equally beneficial to the condition of our mother nature.

Besides gold, diamonds, silver, copper, and bronze, which most people know are popular and expensive minerals found in mining, you should also be aware of different elements also in demand in the mining industry. The sulfides and the oxides are two examples, which are consistently mistaken for each other.

Here is where they differ:

First, what you have to understand is that sulfides are minerals that contain sulfur. These minerals are inorganic compounds, which means that they are formed through geological rather than biological processes. These minerals are commonly found in soils with a higher temperature. They serve as an accessory to all igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks. They are found on top of igneous rocks whilst they tend to be inside metamorphic rocks. There are different types of sulfide minerals. Selenides, tellurides and antimonides are just a few of the classes that sulfide minerals have.

Second, sulfides differ from oxides through their composition. Oxides are those minerals that contain oxide anions, or oxygen, with ice and quartz being the exceptions. They are crystals rich in metallic compounds, with their appearance formed by the processes of the earth. Rutile, ilmenite, hematite and magnetite are the four types of oxide minerals.

Besides these minerals, there are many other minerals that you can learn about. You will be surprised by how interesting they are and how amazing it is that the processes under the earth are creating such beautiful and precious elements.

It is no wonder why the mining industry is booming nowadays. More and more mining companies are mushrooming even in the most rural areas because they think of the money they might make when they discover what might be underneath. Although this is a sign of progress in the entire economy, let us all just hope that it will not exceed reasonably limits. Nowadays with weather and climate changes, even more disastrous happenings are occurring. Minerals might be a great sign of improvement, but at the end of the day, that is all they will ever be, minerals. The environment cannot be replaced once it is disrupted and broken.

Summary:

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