The different common minerals and their uses.

1. Common Minerals
and their Uses

2. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Aggregates (sand, gravel,
and crushed stones)
Sand and gravel are used in making
concrete and asphalt pavement.
Aluminum Used in making automobiles and
airplanes. It is also used in bottling and
canning industries.
Antimony Used as flame-retardants, ammunition,
and automotive batteries. Also used as
decolorizing agent in glassmaking.
Asbestos Asbestos is used in fireproof materials.

3. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Basalt Crushed basalt is used for railroad
ballast
Barium Barium is used as a heavy additive in
oil-well-drilling mud.
Beryllium Used in light and very strong alloys for
the aircraft industry. It is also used in X-
ray tubes.
Bismuth Used in pharmaceutical products and
chemical industry as ceramics, paints,
and catalysts. Bismuth compounds are
used in stomach-upset medicines and
treatment for stomach ulcers.

4. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Bromine Used in leaded gasoline, fire
extinguisher and retardants.
Calcium Used in adhesives and sealants
Cement Used for building materials
Clays Used in manufacturing dinnerware and
pottery, floor and wall tile, fire clay,
firebricks, and construction materials

5. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Copper Copper is used in electric cables and
wires, switches, electronic components,
coins and jewelry.
Diamond Used in tools and drilling bits to cut rock
and small stone.
Feldspar Used in glass and ceramics industry
Gold Used in dentistry and medicine, jewelry
and arts, medallions and coins. It is
also used for scientific and electronic
instruments, computer circuitry, as an
electrolyte in electroplating industry,
and in aerospace industry.

6. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Granite Used as a building stone such as
monuments, headstones, countertops,
statues, and facing on buildings. Also
suitable for railroad ballast and road
aggregate in highway construction.
Graphite Used as dry lubricant and steel
hardener and for brake linings and
production of “lead” pencils.
Gypsum Used in industrial or building plaster,
prefabricated wallboard, and cement
manufacture.
Halite Salt is used in the human diet, primarily
as food seasoning and as food
preservation.

7. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Iodine Used as an antibacterial agent soaps
and cleaning products. Iodized salt is
used to prevent goiter and as antiseptic
in first aid.
Iron ore Used to manufacture steels of various
types and other metallurgic products.
Lead Used in batteries and television tubes.
Mercury Used in electrical products and
industrial and control instruments.
Thermometers and thermostats.

8. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Nickel Used as an alloy to stainless steel, and
it plays a key role in the chemical and
aerospace industries.
Quartz Used for pressure gauges, oscillators,
resonators, and wave stabilizers. Also
used to manufacture glass, paints,
abrasives, refractories, and precision
instruments.
Sandstone Used as a building stone, road bases
and coverings, construction fill,
concrete and railroad ballast.
Silver Used in photography and electronic
products, fine silverware, wire, jewelry,
coins, and brazing alloys and solders.

9. Rock-forming Minerals Uses
Sulfur Used as an industrial raw material
through its major derivative, sulphuric
acid.
Talc Talc is used in the production of paper.
Ground talc is used as filter in
ceramics, paint, roofing, paper, plastics
and in agriculture.
Talc is also used in common household
products such as baby powder,
deodorant and makeup.
Tin Used in the manufacture of cans and
containers, and electrical equipment.
Titanium Used mostly in jet engines, airframes
and space missile applications.