Publications

No abstract available.

Vanadium, the name of which comes from Vanadis, a goddess in Scandinavian mythology, is one of the most important ferrous metals. Vanadium has many uses, but the metal’s metallurgical applications, such as an alloying element in iron and steel, account for more than 85 percent of U.S. consumption. The dominant nonmetallurgical use of the metal is as a catalyst for the production of maleic anhydrid

Published on an annual basis, this report is the earliest Government publication to furnish estimates covering nonfuel mineral industry data. Data sheets contain information on the domestic industry structure, Government programs, tariffs, and 5-year salient statistics for over 90 individual minerals and materials.

Zirconium and hafnium are corrosion-resistant metals that are grouped in the same family as titanium on the periodic table. The two elements commonly occur in oxide and silicate minerals and have significant economic importance in everything from ink, ceramics and golf shoes to nuclear fuel rods.

When asked about wollastonite, most people respond “wollasta-what?” That’s because the wollastonite industry in the United States is relatively small and not highly publicized. Furthermore, the general public does not have any direct contact with wollastonite despite its use in many consumer products, ranging from car brakes to paint.

When most people think of talc, they probably think of talcum and baby powder. However, these uses of talc are quite minor compared to its wide variety of applications in manufacturing. The leading use of talc is in the production of ceramics, where it acts as a source of magnesium oxide, serves as a flux to reduce firing temperatures and improves thermal shock characteristics of the final product

About 96 million metric tons of steel was produced in the United States last year — more than any other metal. And the $3.46 billion of iron and steel scrap exported was also the highest of any metal scrap export, helping to reduce the U.S. trade deficit.

Silver has been used for thousands of years as ornaments and utensils, for trade and as the basis of many monetary systems. The metal has played an important part in world history. Silver from the mines at Laurion, Greece, for example, financed the Greek victory over the Persians in 480 B.C. Silver from Potosi, Bolivia, helped Spain become a world power in the 16th and 17th centuries. And silver f

Selenium is a trace mineral needed in small amounts for good health; however, in any significant amount, it is toxic. As a relatively rare metallic element, selenium has a surprising diversity of uses.

Phosphate rock minerals provide the only significant global resources of phosphorus, which is an essential element for plant and animal nutrition. Phosphate rock is used primarily as a principal component of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, but also to produce elemental phosphorus and animal feed.

It’s not just diamonds associated with conflict in Africa. Coltan, short for columbite-tantalite (a blend of niobium — also called columbium — and tantalum minerals), is linked with the recent conflicts in the Congo that involved several African countries. The metallic ore, which is processed to separate out niobium and the very valuable tantalum (see Geotimes, August 2004), is believed to be smug

Kyanite and related minerals are used in making refractories, which are materials that can withstand high-temperature environments, generally in excess of 1,100 degrees Celsius. Refractories form an inner lining to furnaces, kilns and other containers with which molten metals and glass come into contact. Fifty to 70 percent of global refractory consumption is related to the steel industry.