Metallurgy : Extraction of Metals
The compounds of various metals found in nature as ores are mixed with impurities like sand and
rock. The various processes involved in the extraction of metals from their ores and their subsequent
refining are known as metallurgy.
Rock, Mineral and Ore
Rocks
A rock is made up of 2 or more minerals. You need minerals to make rocks, but you don"t need rocks
to make minerals. All rocks are made of minerals.
Minerals
A mineral is composed of the same substance throughout. There are about 3000 different minerals in
the world. Minerals are made of chemicals - either a single chemical or a combination of chemicals.
Difference between rock and mineral- A rock is made up of 2 or more minerals, whereas a mineral is
composed of the same substance throughout.
Ore
A mineral occurring in sufficient quantity and containing enough metal to permit its recovery and
extraction at a profit. Or, a mineral or an aggregate of minerals from which a valuable constituent,
especially a metal, can be profitably mined or extracted is an ore. Simple ores are ores that yield a
single metal. Complex ores are ores that yield more than one metal.
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