Minerals and ores

According to the Van Dale dictionary, a mineral is a ‘usable substance which is dug out of the ground’ and is, therefore, a collective term for gas, oil, brown coal, coal, ores, rocks and minerals, for example.

Whereas in the case of solid fossil fuel such as brown coal and coal, the composition with respect to the application is essential (hardness, moisture, ash, sulphur, element composition and caloric value) in the case of ores it is the level of the significant elements which is decisive. Iron ore, bauxite, magnesite and bentonite, to name a few.
Mother earth supplies us, quite literally, with a ‘mountain’ of useful substances which, after chemical or physical processing, are applicable in our society.

The associated analysis is often specific to the type of ore, mineral or stone and is often also specific to the application in question.

X-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, thermographic analyses, (DS) calorimetry, particle size analyses (laser diffraction), trace analysis by means of ICP and AA and measurements of moisture, etc. are the techniques used to determine various chemical and physical parameters.