Mineral Resources in India

BY
PROF.A. BALASUBRAMANIAN
DEPT. OF EARTH SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF MYSORE

 Among the Subjects of Earth
Sciences, Economic Geology
deals with all the Mineral
resources, mineral fuels,
their distribution and their
role for the economic
development of a nation.

Water
resources
Forest
resources Energy
resources
Human
resources Land
resources
Mineral
resources

 Among the resources, minerals
are the major contributors of
the national economy.
 India is a country, much
dependant on the available
natural resources for its
economy.

 This lesson is on the “ Mineral
Resources in India”.

1. Crude Oil
2. Petroleum refinery products
3. Coal
4. Electricity
5. Cement
6. Finished carbon steel.
 All of them are supported by the mining
sector.
 This, in turn, depends on Mineral resources.

 2999 mines working on all
minerals
 574 mines working on Coal
 700 mines concentrating on
Metallic minerals &
 1725 mines working for getting
Non-metallic minerals.

 The average daily employment
provided in mining sector is almost
0.52 million.
 Among these, the Public sector
provides about 0. 419 million, i.e.
About 81% and the Private Sector
gives the balance of 19%.

 While studying the economic geography of
India, all these aspects are to be studied in
detail, because, these two resources control
many of the industrial activities.
Two Vital
resourcesMetallic and
non-metallic
Mineral
Resource
Mineral
fuels

 A mineral is an element or chemical
compound that is normally crystalline, in
nature.
 It might have been formed as a result of a
geological process.
 It may be occurring alone or in association
with other minerals or rocks.
 Minerals containing metals as their major
constituents are called as ore minerals.

Minerals have a characteristic
chemical composition, ordered
atomic structure and specific
physical properties.
The minerals range in composition
from pure elements and simple
salts to very complex silicates
with thousands of known forms.
About 1000 minerals are very
important among the several
thousand minerals occurring in
nature.

 Many of the Mineral resources are non-
renewable, some are non-recyclable.
 They invariably control the economy,
mining sector, industrialization, and the
environmental conditions as well.
 Most of these mineral resources are
unevenly distributed in the
heterogeneous geological formations.

They are:
 10 metallic minerals
 46 non-metallic minerals (industrial)
 3 atomic minerals and
 23 minor minerals (including building
and other materials)
 4 fuel minerals.

1. Metallic Minerals (Ferrous Group)
2. Metallic Minerals (Non-Ferrous Group)
3. Precious & Semi-precious Minerals
4. Strategic Minerals
5. Fertilizer Minerals
6. Refractory Minerals
7. Ceramic and Glass Minerals
8. Other Industrial Minerals
9. Minor Minerals
10. Mineral fuels ( Coal, Oil & Gas).

1. Chromite
2. Iron Ore (Haematite)
3. Iron Ore (Magnetite)
4. Manganese Ore
5. Antimony
6. Bauxite
7. Copper
8. Lead & Zinc
9. Platinum Group of Metals

10. Corundum
11. Diamond
12. Garnet
13. Gold
14. Ruby
15. Sapphire
16. Silver

17. Cobalt
18. Molybdenum
19. Nickel
20. Tin
21. Titanium Minerals
22. Tungsten
23. Vanadium

24. Gypsum
25. Phosphate (Apatite)
26. Rock Phosphate (Phosphorite)
27. Potash
28. Pyrite
29. Sulphur (Native)

25. Andalusite
26. Fireclay
27. Graphite
28. Kyanite
29. Magnesite
30. Pyrophyllite
31. Sillimanite

32. Ball Clay
33. China clay
34. Feldspar
35. Quartz & Silica Sand
36. Wollastonite

37. Asbestos
38. Barytes
39. Borax
40. Calcite
41. Chalk
42. Diaspore
43. Diatomite
44. Dolomite
45. Dunite
46. Fluorite
47. Laterite
48. Limestone
49. Marl
50. Mica
51. Ochre
52. Perlite
53. Quartzite
54. Rock Salt
55. Shale
56. Slate
57. Talc/Steatite/Soapstone
58. Vermiculite
59. Zircon

60. Bentonite
61. Fuller's Earth
62. Granite (Dimension Stone)
63. Marble

64. Coal & lignite
65. Petroleum and Natural Gas

1. Iron Ore (Haematite)
2. Iron Ore (Magnetite)
3. Manganese Ore
4. Chromite

 Iron is the second most abundant
metallic element in the Earth’s crust.
 The principal minerals of iron are :
 haematite and magnetite (oxides)
 limonite and goethite (hydroxides)
 siderite and pyrite(sulphides)
 Haematite and magnetite are the two
important iron ores from which iron is
extracted.
Metallic Mineral-
Ferrous

 Iron ores are the basic raw materials for
iron and steel industries.
 Steel is the vital component of a country's
economy. Steel is considered as the crux
of modernisation.
 Steel is environment-friendly and
recyclable.
 The finished steel production in India was
found to be at 66.01 million tonnes in 2010-
11.
Metallic Mineral- Ferrous

 The total resources of Iron ores in India
are about 28.52 Billion tonnes of
hematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite
(Fe3O4).
 India is one among the leading
producers as well as exporters of iron
ore in the world.
 The total resources of hematite alone
are estimated at 17,882 million tonnes.

 About 59%
hematite ore
deposits are found
in the Eastern
Sector.
 About 92%
magnetite ore
deposits occur in
Southern Sector,
especially in
Karnataka.

 Manganese is a vital component of steel and
over 90% of manganese produced world over
is used for metallurgical purpose.
 The manganese ores are
 pyrolusite and
 Psylomelane.

 The manganese provinces are in the Peninsular
India which include the ore deposits of Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat and Bihar.
 Two states namely Karnataka and Orissa
dominate the ore reserve scenario accounting 40%
and 25% of the national endowment respectively.
 M. P. - Maharashtra manganese belt and Goa
provide a substantial amount of manganese ores.

 The important deposits
lie in the States of
Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Orissa,
Karnataka, Gujarat,
Rajasthan and Goa.

 Chromite is an oxide of chromium and
iron.
 It is the only commercial source of
chromium.
 It occurs as a primary mineral of
ultrabasic igneous rocks.
 It is normally associated with
peridotite, pyroxenite, dunite and
serpentinite.

 Chromium is a hard, bluish metallic element
(Cr).
 This was identified from a mineral as
chromium oxide (CrO3) by Louis-Nicholas
Vauquelin.
 Shortly after Vauquelin's discovery, Tassaert- a
German chemist, discovered chromium in an
ore. That was called by the geologists as
chromite (FeCr2O4).
It is a Ferrous chromic oxide).
Chromite forms in an igneous environment.

 Chromite has a wide range of uses in
metallurgical, chemical & refractory
industries.
 In metallurgical industry, chromite is
used for manufacturing low-carbon and
high-carbon ferro-chrome, in making
stainless steels and special alloy steels.

India has 203 million tonnes of Chromite.
More than 93% resources of chromite are
located in Odisha, mostly in the Sukinda
valley in Cuttack and Jajpur districts.
Minor deposits are scattered over Manipur,
Nagaland, Karnataka, Jharkhand,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh.

5. Antimony
6. Bauxite
7. Copper
8. Lead & Zinc
9. Platinum Group of Metals

 Antimony is a silvery-gray, brittle semi-metal.
 It rarely occurs in nature as a native element,
but is found in a number of different
minerals, the most important of which is
stibnite (SbS3).
 Antimony is often called as a semi-metal,
because in pure form it is not shiny and
malleable like the other true metals.

 Antimony is found in traces in silver, copper
and lead ores.
 It is economically possible, and
environmentally desirable to extract
antimony from these ores when they are
smelted.
 The most important use of antimony is in
chemicals used to impregnate plastics,
textiles, rubber, and other materials.
 It is also used as a flame retardant - that is, a
form of fireproofing material.

Aluminium is a silver-white metal and is very light in
weight but very strong.
Bauxite is the essential ore of aluminium.
It contains over 99% of metallic aluminium.
Because aluminium is ductile, it can be drawn into wires
or pressed into sheets or foil.
Most bauxite is first processed to make alumina, or
aluminium oxide, a white granular material.
Worldwide sources of bauxite are large enough to supply
the demand for aluminium for some time to come.

Bauxite is the name for a mixture of similar
minerals that contain hydrated aluminium
oxides.
These minerals are
gibbsite (Al(OH)3),
diaspore (AlO(OH)), and
boehmite (AlO(OH)).
Hence, bauxite is considered as a rock and not as a
mineral.
Bauxite is reddish-brown, white, tan, and tan-yellow
in colors.

Its resistance to corrosion is advantageous to use it
in aircraft, automobiles, beverage containers, and
buildings.
It is the most abundant metallic element, and the
third most abundant of all elements in the Earth's
crust. This makes up 8% of the crust by weight;
only silicon and oxygen are more plentiful.
It is one of the most important nonferrous metals
used in the modern industries.
It is also an essential ore for refractory and chemical
industries.
India has abundant resources of bauxite which can
meet both domestic and export demands.

Resources of bauxite in the country are about
3,480 million tonnes.
By States, Odisha alone accounts for 52% of
country's resources of bauxite followed by
Andhra Pradesh (18%),
Gujarat (7%),
Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra (5% each) and
Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand (4% each).
Major bauxite resources are concentrated in the
East Coast.

 Copper is a well-known, pinkish and softer non-
ferrous base metal.
 It occurs as a native metal. It is both ductile and
malleable. It can be made in to various shapes without
fracturing. It can be beaten into thin sheets.
 It is a soft metal. It has a high electrical and thermal
conductivity( next to silver).
 It was used prior to iron by mankind, since ancient
past. Hence, copper has high cultural significance.
 On record, this metal was known to the people of the
oldest civilizations. Copper has a history of at least
10,000 years.

 Copper-bearing ores, in India, fall into three main
classes i.e. oxides, carbonates and the sulfides.
 There are more than 150 ore minerals of copper.
 The important oxide ores include
 cuprite (Cu2O) and
 tenorite (CuO).
 The carbonate ores are
 malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2) and
 azurite (Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2).
 The common sulfides of copper include
 chalcopyrite (CuFeS2),
 covellite (CuS),
 chalcocite (Cu2S) and
 bornite (Cu5FeS4).

The total copper metal resources in India are about 12.29
million tonnes.
Largest resources of copper ore to a tune of 777.17
million tonnes (49.86%) are found in the state of
Rajasthan. It is followed by
Madhya Pradesh with 377.19 million tonnes (24.2%) and
Jharkhand with 288.12 million tonnes (18.49%).
The Copper resources in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat,
Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya,
Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West
Bengal accounted for about 8% of the total all India
resources.

Lead is a soft, heavy, toxic and highly
malleable metal.
It is usually found in ore form with zinc.
Lead is a very corrosion-resistant, dense
and ductile element.
It can be drawn into wires or pressed into
thin sheets.
Lead has been used for at least 5,000 years.
The most significant lead-bearing mineral
is galena (lead sulphide).

 More than three-fourths of lead produced in
the world are is used by the transportation
industry, particularly in lead-acid batteries.
 The remaining uses include ammunition,
electrical appliances, electronic goods, and
communication applications, and in radiation
shields.
 Lead has been used since antiquity.
 It is usually alloyed with other elements.

 Lead is toxic.
 It can cause damage to the digestive and
nervous systems.
 Its use in some applications has been
discontinued.
 Lead poisoning is monitored in children to
prevent any permanent damage.

 Zinc is a silvery blue-grey metal with a
relatively low melting and boiling
point.
 Zinc is recovered from a number of
different zinc minerals.
 The most important of these minerals is
sphalerite (zinc sulfide).
 Such minerals as smithsonite (zinc
carbonate) and zincite (zinc oxide) are
also zinc ores.

 Zinc has unique properties.
 It is resistant to corrosion.
 Due to this more than one-half of zinc metal
is used for galvanizing purposes.
 It is also used in the production of zinc-based
alloys, brass, and bronze. Zinc extraction
gives a lot of co-products in the industry.
 The major co-products of zinc mining and
smelting processes are cadmium, germanium,
gold, lead, silver, and sulfur.

 India produced zinc metal as early as 1200, by
burning organic materials with smithsonite
(ZnCO3, zinc carbonate).
 Zinc was used long before.
 Brass is an alloy- a mixture, of copper and
zinc, used for several thousand years.
 Many Brass items have been discovered,
dating back to as early as 1000 B.C, during
archaeological excavations.

The total resources of lead and zinc ores are estimated
to be around 685.59 million tonnes.
Rajasthan is endowed with the largest resources
of lead-zinc ore amounting to 607.53 million tonnes in
India. It is about 88.61%.
It is followed by
Andhra Pradesh 22.69 million tonnes (3.31%),
Madhya Pradesh 14.84 million tonnes (2.16%),
Bihar 11.43 million tonnes (1.67%) and
Maharashtra 9.27 million tonnes (1.35%).

 Resources are also established in
 Gujarat,
 Meghalaya,
 Odisha,
 Sikkim,
 Tamil Nadu,
 Uttarakhand and
 West Bengal.

 The platinum group elements comprise of
 platinum,
 palladium,
 iridium,
 rhodium,
 osmium and
 ruthenium, which are rare in value and volumes.
 These elements have extensive use in jewellery,
pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and fuel
cell technologies.

 Platinum is basically a bright white
metal.
 It is a precious metal.
 It has got a very wide range of
applications in industries.
 Platinum is popularly known as the
Rich Man’s Gold.

 Because of the similar physical and
chemical properties, the platinum group
of metals tend to occur naturally
together , in the same mineral deposits.
 These are often associated with gold
and silver.
 They are classically known as Noble
Metals.
 India has very little of these resources.

Corundum /Ruby /Sapphire
Diamond
Garnet
Gold
Silver

 Corundum is a crystalline form of
aluminium oxide (Al2O3) with traces of
iron, titanium and chromium.
 It is a rock-forming mineral.
 Transparent specimens are used as
gems, called ruby.
 Coloured ones are called sapphire.

 The ancient Indians were the first, in the
world, to take notice of the mineral diamond
for its beauty and hardness.
 Diamond was discovered by the Indians in
the eighth century B.C.
 They used to collect diamonds from its
secondary sources i.e., the quaternary gravel
beds and gravel bars in the sediments.

 Despite this ancient tradition,
the primary sources of
diamonds are kimberlite,
lamproite, and other kimberlite
clan rocks.
 They are all found in India and
other countries.

 India is known for its diamond cutting
& polishing business especially for
small sized diamonds.
 Most of the world's business on
diamond comes to India, particularly
to Surat in Gujarat.
 Indian diamond industry handles
about 80% of the global polished
diamond market.

 Diamond occurrences in India are quite
widespread.
 The areas of occurrences of source rocks of
diamond are broadly grouped into three
diamond provinces, namely the
 South Indian Diamond Province (SIDP),
 the Central Indian Diamond Province (CIDP)
and
 the East Indian Diamond Province (EIDP).

Presently, diamond fields of India are grouped into
four regions:
1) The South Indian tract of Andhra Pradesh,
comprising parts of Anantapur, Cuddapah,
Guntur, Krishna, Mahaboobnagar and Kurnool
districts;
2) The Central Indian tract of Madhya Pradesh,
comprising Panna belt;
3) The Behradin-Kodawali area in Raipur district
and Tokapal, Dugapal areas in Bastar district of
Chhattisgarh; and
4) The Eastern Indian tract in Odisha, lying
between Mahanadi and Godavari valleys.

Garnet is a collective name for a group of
minerals .
Garnet is hard with sharp angular chisel-edged
fracture, containing small amounts of free
silica and exhibits high resistance to physical
and chemical attacks.
It is a resistant mineral and detritus grains are
commonly found in sediments.
It is used both as semi-precious stone and also
as an abrasive.

In India, garnet deposits occur in Andhra
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala,
Odisha, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Gem variety of garnet occurs in Ajmer, Jaipur,
Kishangarh, Tonk and Udaipur districts of
Rajasthan;
Krishna, Nellore and Warangal districts of
Andhra Pradesh; and
Coimbatore, Nilgiri and Salem districts of
Tamil Nadu.

Garnet is found to occur in the beach sands
along with ilmenite, rutile, sillimanite,
etc. in the states of Kerala, Odisha and
Tamil Nadu.
The total resources of garnet in India, are
placed at 56.96 million tonnes.
Tamil Nadu alone accounts for more than
59% of the total resources, followed by
Andhra Pradesh 33% and Odisha 6%.
The remaining states together shared less
than 2%.

Gold is a noble metal. It is highly valued by the
mankind since antiquity. It is used as an
adornment for cultural status and ornamental
purposes. It symbolises wealth and used for
coinage.
Gold is a relatively scarce metal in the world
and a scarce commodity in India.
The total resources of gold ore in the country
were estimated to be around 493.69 million
tonnes.
Gold occurs principally as a native metal.

By States, largest resources in terms of gold ore
(primary) are located in Bihar (45%) followed by
Rajasthan (23%) and Karnataka (22%),
West Bengal (3%), and Andhra Pradesh & Madhya
Pradesh (2% each).
Remaining 3% resources of gold are located in
Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra and
Tamil Nadu.
In terms of metal content, Karnataka remained on
the top followed by Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra
Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Silver is one of the five noble metals.
It has brilliant white colour, good
malleability and resistance to
atmospheric oxidation.
It has always been a highly desired
precious metal and is used in more
industrial applications than any other
metal, in the world.

 Apart from its monetary and decorative uses,
it is used for
 printed electric circuits,
 coating for electronic conductors and
 in alloys of gold and copper for electrical
contacts.
 Its chloride and iodide are light-sensitive and
hence used in photographic material.
 These two modern uses are responsible for
contributing its supply as scrap.

In India, there are no native silver
deposits except the small and unique
Bharak deposit of silver in Rajasthan.
Silver occurs, generally, with lead, zinc,
copper and gold ores.
The total resources of silver ore in the
country are estimated to be around
466.98 million tonnes.

By States, Rajasthan accounted for about
87% resources in terms of ore,
Jharkhand 5%,
Andhra Pradesh 4% and
Karnataka 2%.
Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha,
Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and
Maharashtra together shared 2% ore
resources.

Cobalt
Molybdenum
Nickel
Tin
Titanium Minerals
Tungsten
Vanadium

 Cobalt is an important strategic
alloying metal having irreplaceable
industrial applications.
 Cobalt is associated mostly with
copper, nickel and arsenic ores.

 The total resources of cobalt in India are
about 44.91 million tonnes .
 About 69%, i.e. 30.91 million tonnes are
estimated in Odisha.
 The remaining 31% resources are in
Jharkhand (9 million tonnes) and Nagaland
(5 million tonnes).
 Major use of cobalt is in metallurgical
applications, in special alloy/super alloy
industry, in magnets and cutting tools
industries.

Molybdenum is a refractory metal.
It is used mainly as an alloying agent in
steel, cast iron & super alloys
manufacture to enhance their strength.
It does not occur in nature in free state.
It is found in chemically combined form
with other elements.
Molybdenite (MoS2) is the principal ore
of molybdenum.

 In India, by-product concentrates of
molybdenum are produced
intermittently from uranium ore of
Jaduguda mine belonging to
Uranium Corporation of India Ltd
(UCIL) in Jharkhand.

In India, molybdenum is associated with copper,
lead and zinc ores.
It occurs in
a) Rakha copper deposit in Jharkhand
b) Malanjkhand copper deposit in Madhya Pradesh
c) Dariba-Rajpura lead-zinc deposit in Rajasthan
The multimetal deposit at in Khasi and Jaintia Hills,
Meghalaya is an important occurrence.
Molybdenum deposit also occurs in Karadikuttam
in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu.

Nickel, when added in small quantity to iron,
increases its properties manifold and makes
the product hard and stainless.
The demand of nickel lies in the production of
stainless steel. It is also used in plating.
Nickel is not produced from primary sources.
The entire demand is met through imports in
India.
However, it is recovered as nickel sulphate
crystals, a by-product obtained during copper
production.

Nickeliferous limonite is found in the overburden
of chromite in Sukinda Valley and Jajpur district
of Odisha.
Nickel also occurs in sulphide form along with
copper mineralisation in the East Singhbhum
district, Jharkhand.
In addition, it is found associated with uranium
deposits at Jaduguda, Jharkhand.
Other reported occurrences of nickel are from
Karnataka, Kerala and Rajasthan.
Polymetallic nodules are yet another source of
nickel.

Tin is one of the earliest known metals.
It is used mainly in bronze implements.
It is a very scarce element.
It is non-toxic. Highly malleability. It is
chemically inert.
It can form an amalgam. It can form an alloy
with other metals.
Pure tin is a silvery-white metal which is soft
and malleable.

 The most important tin mineral is cassiterite
(SnO2), which, in its purest form contains
78.6% tin.
 The less common tin ore is stannite
 Occurrences of tin in primary as well as
secondary forms have been reported from
Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka,
Odisha, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
 The total resources of tin ore in the Country
are about 83.73 million tonnes.

Tungsten is a vital metal of strategic
importance.
The chief sources of tungsten are minerals
scheelite (CaWO4) and
wolframite [(Fe,Mn)WO4] which are
deposited by hydrothermal solutions.
Tungsten has a high melting point and is
resistant to all acids at ordinary
temperatures.

 The total resources of tungsten ore in India
 Resources are mainly distributed in
 Karnataka (42%),
 Rajasthan (27%),
 Andhra Pradesh (17%) and
 Maharashtra (9%).
 Remaining 5% resources are in Haryana,
Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Vanadium is a scarce element.
It occurs in association with titaniferous magnetite.
It is also recovered as a by-product during iron &
steel manufacture.
In addition, vanadium present in bauxite can also
be recovered as vanadium sludge.
In India, vanadium is associated with titaniferous
magnetite.
The total estimated resources of vanadium ore are
about 24.72 million tonnes.

Gypsum
Phosphate (Apatite)
Rock Phosphate (Phosphorite)
Potash
Pyrite
Sulphur (Native)

Gypsum (CaSO.2HO) is a hydrated calcium
sulphate.
Because of its special properties, it is widely used
in industries.
It can be used as a cast or mould to any desired
surface or form.
On drying, it sets into a hard rock-like form.
Selenite is a colourless, transparent, crystalline
variety of gypsum.
Alabaster is a fine grained, massive white variety.
Silky and fibrous variety of gypsum is called satin
spar.

 The total resources of mineral gypsum in
India are about 1,286 million tonnes.
 In India, Rajasthan alone accounts for 82%
resources and Jammu & Kashmir 14%
resources.
 The remaining 4% resources are in Tamil
Nadu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka,
Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh.

Apatite is the most abundant crystalline phosphate
mineral.
It is found as an accessory mineral in all kinds of
igneous rocks.
Fluorapatite is the most common variety of apatite and
also a secondary source of fluorine.
Collophane is apparently a cryptocrystalline or
amorphous calcium phosphate complex.
Apatite & rock phosphate containing 3 to 4% CaF2 are
useful for recovery of fluorite.

The total resources of apatite in India are
Of the total resources, the bulk (57%) are
located in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal
followed by Jharkhand (30%) and
Meghalaya (5%).
The remaining 8% resources are available
in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat
and Tamil Nadu.

Phosphate rock is also a source of byproduct
for fluorine.
Rock phosphates are called as phosphorites.
These are sedimentary phosphatic deposits
comprising fine-grained mixture of various
calcium phosphates.
The most important minerals are hydroxyl-
apatite, carbonate-apatite and fluor-apatite.
About 80% phosphate production in the world
is derived from phosphate rocks.

Phosphate rock is used primarily as a
plant nutrient.
Elemental phosphorus and phosphoric
chemicals derived from phosphate rock
are also used in detergents,
insecticides, matches, fireworks,
military smoke screens, incendiary
bombs, and many other products.

The total resources of rock phosphate, in
India, are about 296.3 million tonnes.
Of the total resources,
36% are in Jharkhand,
30% in Rajasthan,
17% in Madhya Pradesh,
9% in Uttar Pradesh and
8% in Uttarakhand.
Meagre amount of rock phosphate resources
are located in Gujarat and Meghalaya.

Potassium is one of the three essential plant
nutrients.
It is supplied commercially as potash, i.e.,
potassium-bearing minerals, ores and
processed products.
The principal ore is sylvinite. It is a mixture of
sylvite (KCl) and rock salt (NaCl).
In India, potash mineral resources exist mainly as
polyhalite, sylvite and glauconite.

 The total resources of potash, in India, are
about 21,816 million tonnes.
 Rajasthan alone contributes 94% resources,
followed by
 Madhya Pradesh 5% and
 Uttar Pradesh the remaining 1%.
 Glauconitic sandstones/greensands deposits
which are available in plenty can be used as
an alternative indigenous resource for potash.

 In India, there are no mineable elemental
sulphur reserves.
 Pyrites was used as a substitute for sulphur
in the manufacture of sulphuric acid.
 The domestic production of elemental
sulphur is limited to the by-product
recoveries from petroleum refineries.
 The limited resources, located in Jammu &
Kashmir, are about 0.21 million tonnes.

Andalusite( minor)
Fireclay
Graphite
Kyanite (minor)
Magnesite
Pyrophyllite (Minor)
Sillimanite (minor)

 A group of refractory clays used in the
manufacture of refractory bricks.
 India possesses a substantial reserve of fireclay.
 The best deposits occur in Lower Gondwana
Coalfields of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, West
Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Neyveli lignite
fields in Tamil Nadu.
 Notable occurrences of fireclay, not associated
with coal measures, are reported in Gujarat,
Jabalpur region of Madhya Pradesh and
Belpahar-Sundergarh areas of Odisha.

Graphite, also known as black lead, is a
variety of naturally occurring carbon.
It has a grey- to-black metallic lustre and
greasy feel.
Natural graphite is divisible into two
commercial varieties:
(i) crystalline (flaky) graphite and
(ii) amorphous graphite.

Graphite occurrences are reported from
various states.
The deposits of economic importance are
located in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Rajasthan
and Tamil Nadu.
The total resources of graphite in India

 Magnesite (MgCO3) is a carbonate of
magnesium.
 It is usually found as irregular veins in
serpentine and formed by replacement
of dolomite and limestone.
 It is a very important mineral for the
manufacture of basic refractories, which
are largely used in the steel industry.

 The total resources of magnesite, in India, are
about 335 million tonnes.
 Substantial quantities of magnesite resources
are established in Uttarakhand (69%),
followed by Rajasthan (16%) and Tamil
Nadu (12%).
 Resources are also located in Andhra Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir,
Karnataka and Kerala.

Ball Clay
China clay
Feldspar
Quartz & Silica Sand
Wollastonite

 The term clay refers to a number of earthy
materials.
 They are composed of minerals rich in alumina,
silica and water.
 Clay is not a single mineral, but includes a
number of minerals.
 Clay is commonly found in all parts of the world.
 Since ancient civilizations, clay has been used
for everything from bricks to pottery. All vessels
were made be the ancient people using clays.

 The clay minerals are not easily identifiable.
After the invention of X-ray diffraction
analysis, clay minerals have been studied in
detail.
 Clays can also contain other materials such as
iron oxide (rust), silica, and rock fragments.
 Mostly, the impurities makes the change in
the characteristics of the clay.
 For example, presence of iron oxide makes a
clay to become red. The presence of silica
increases the plasticity of the clay.

Clays are categorized into 6 types in
industries. These categories are
 ball clay,
 bentonite,
 common clay,
 fire clay,
 fuller's earth, and
 kaolin.

 Ball clays are good quality clays used mostly
in pottery indutries.
 They are also added to other clays to improve
their plasticity.
 Ball clays are not occurring as common as
other varieties of clay.
 Ball clays are used to make floor and wall
tiles.
 They are also used to make sanitary ware,
pottery, and other uses.

 Bentonite is a kind of clay.
 It is formed from the alteration of volcanic
ash.
 Bentonite is used in pet litter to absorb
liquids.
 It is used as a mud in drilling applications.
 It is also used in industrial applications like
the "pelletizing process while extracting iron
from its ore.

 Common clay is used to make construction
materials such as bricks, cement, and
lightweight aggregates.
 Fire clays are used to make items that are
resistant to extreme heat.
 These products are called refractory clay
products.
 Nearly all of fire clays are used to make
refractory products.

 Fuller's earth is composed of the mineral
palygorskite or attapulgite.
 Fuller's earth is used mostly as an absorbent.
 It is also used for pesticides and pesticide-
related products.
 Kaolinite is another variety of clay.
 It is composed of the mineral kaolin.
 It is an essential ingredient in the production
of high quality paper and some refractory
items including porcelains.

Feldspars are one of the most abundant rock-
forming minerals in the earth's crust.
The feldspar group of minerals includes a
complex series of alumino-silicates with
varying amounts of potassium, sodium,
calcium and sometime barium.
Common amongst these are the
a) potash feldspars called orthoclase and microcline,
b) sodium feldspar called albite and
c) calcium feldspar called anorthite.

 The total resources of feldspar in the country
are estimated to be around 132 million
tonnes.
 By States, Rajasthan alone accounts for about
66% of the total resources followed by
 Andhra Pradesh (16%),
 Tamil Nadu (7%),
 Bihar (4%) and
 West Bengal (3%).

The term 'quartz' is often used as a synonym to
silica.
Silica (SiO2) is one of the common materials
present in the earth's crust.
Quartz, quartzite and silica sand are all coined
together in one generic name 'silica
minerals'.
This is because all these commodities are
essentially crystalline silicon dioxide (SiO2).

The important varieties of crystalline quartz are
 vein quartz (massive crystalline quartz);
 milky quartz (white, translucent to opaque);
 ferruginous quartz,
 amethyst,
 transparent quartz;
 rose quartz and
 smoky quartz.

The total resources of quartz and silica sand in the
country are estimated to be around 3,499 million
tonnes.
Haryana alone accounts for about 52% resources,
followed by
Rajasthan (9.5%),
Tamil Nadu (6.5%),
Maharashtra (5%),
Jharkhand (4.5%) and
Karnataka and Gujarat (3% each).

Wollastonite is a metasilicate of calcium.
It contains 48.3% CaO and 51.7% SiO2.
It occurs as aggregates of bladed or needle-like
crystals.
Ceramic industry uses wollastonite, as a filler.
It is also used in ceramic floor and wall tiles,
marine wallboard, paint, plastic and in
refractory liners in steel mills.

Major deposits of wollastonite have been
found in
a) Dungarpur, Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur districts in
Rajasthan.
b) in Ghoda area, Banaskantha district in Gujarat
and
c) In Dharmapuri and Tirunelveli districts in Tamil
Nadu.
The resources of wollastonite, are found to be
around 16.57 million tonnes.

Asbestos
Barytes
Borax
Calcite
Chalk
Diaspore
Diatomite
Dolomite
Dunite
Fluorite
Laterite
Limestone
Marl
Mica
Ochre
Perlite
Quartzite
Rock Salt
Shale
Slate
Talc/Steatite/Soapstone
Vermiculite
Zircon

Asbestos is a group of fibrous minerals.
The physical properties, besides fibrous
character, such as, fineness, flexibility,
tensile strength & length of fibres,
infusibility, low heat conductivity and
high resistance to electricity & sound
as also to corrosion by acids, make
asbestos commercially important.

Commercial asbestos is classified into two main
mineralogical groups:
serpentine asbestos(chrysotile asbestos ) and
amphibole asbestos.
The latter includes asbestos minerals, such as,
tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, amosite
and crocidolite.
Commercially, chrysotile asbestos is far superior
in physical properties and hence more
valuable.

The total resources of asbestos in the
country are about 22.17 million tonnes.
Out of the total resources, Rajasthan
accounts for 13.6 million tonnes (61%)
and Karnataka 8.28 million tonnes
(37%).
The remaining two percent resources are
found in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh,
Odisha and Uttarakhand.

The total resources of baryte in India are about
73 million tonnes.
The Mangampet deposit in Cuddapah district
of Andhra Pradesh is the single largest baryte
deposit in the world.
India is one of the leading producers and
exporters of baryte in the world.
Andhra Pradesh alone accounts for 94% of the
country's baryte resources.

Baryte or barite is the mineral form of
barium sulphate.
Approximately, 85% barytes produced
worldwide, are used for oil and gas
drilling , as well as weighting agent in
drilling.
Another application after its conversion
to barium carbonate is in the
manufacture of ceramic and glass.

 Calcite is a carbonate of calcium
(CaCO3) containing 56% CaO and 44%
CO2 .
 It is one of the important industrial
minerals popularly known as 'Calc
Spar'.
 Pure and transparent variety of calcite
is known as 'Iceland Spar' which is used
as Nicol prism in microscopes.

 The availability of calcite is abundant.
 The total resources of calcite are estimated to
be around 20.94 million tonnes, in India.
 Rajasthan has the largest share (50%) of
calcite resources, followed by
 Andhra Pradesh (42%) and
 Madhya Pradesh (6%).
 The remaining resources are located in
Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu
and Uttar Pradesh.

 Diaspore is is an important constituent of
bauxite.
 It is used mainly for making high-alumina
refractory bricks.
 It is also used as a filler in plastic industry.
 The total resources of diaspore, in India, are
 Of these about 63% are located in Madhya
Pradesh, 37% in Uttar Pradesh and a nominal
quantity in Jammu & Kashmir.

 Diatomite is extremely fine grained and
highly absorbent.
 There is no workable diatomite deposit
in India.
 Almost the entire domestic
requirement of diatomite is met through
imports.

Dolomite theoretically contains CaCO3 54.35%
and MgCO3 45.65% .
In nature, dolomite is not available in this exact
proportion.
Hence, the rock containing 40-45% MgCO3 is
usually called as dolomite.
It is grouped under flux and construction
minerals.
It is important for iron & steel and ferro-alloys
industries.

Dolomite occurrences are widespread in the country.
The total resources of dolomite are about 7,730 million
tonnes.
Major share of about 91% resources are distributed in
eight states:
Madhya Pradesh (29%), Andhra Pradesh (15%),
Chhattisgarh (11%) , Odisha and Karnataka (9% each),
Gujarat (7%), Rajasthan (6%) and Maharashtra (5%).
The remaining 9% resources are distributed in Arunachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu,
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

 Dunite is a monomineralic ultrabasic rock
consisting of more or less pure olivine.
 Dunite typically contains 36 to 42% MgO and
36 to 39% SiO2.
 It is used in sintering and as a fluxing agent
in blast furnace in place of dolomite.
 In India, occurrences of dunite are reported in
Jharkhand, Karnataka; Odisha, Nagaland
and Tamil Nadu.

Fluorite or fluorspar is the mineral containing
calcium fluoride (CaF2).
It is an important commercial source of fluorine.
Fluorite plays a vital role in the manufacture of
aluminium, gasoline, insulating foams,
refrigerants, steel and uranium fuel.
The total resources of fluorite in the country
are estimated to be around 18.2 million
tonnes.

 Gujarat accounts for 66% of the total
resources having 12 million tonnes,
followed by
 Rajasthan with 5.24 million tonnes
(29%),
 Chhattisgarh 0.55 million tonnes (3%)
and
 Maharashtra 0.42 million tonnes (2%).

 Laterite is a residual ferruginous rock.
 It is commonly found in tropical regions in
close genetic association with bauxite.
 The term ‘laterite’ was originally used for
highly ferruginous deposits first observed in
Malabar Region of coastal Kerala and
Dakshin Karnataka & other parts of
Karnataka.
 It is a highly weathered material, rich in
secondary oxides of iron, aluminium or both.

 Laterite and bauxite show a tendency to occur
together.
 Aluminous laterites and ferruginous bauxites
are quite common.
 Laterite occurrences are reported from all over
the country.
 Almost all Indian bauxite deposits are
associated with laterite, except those in
Jammu & Kashmir.

 M.P, A.P
 Chhattishgarh, Goa, Gujarat,
Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan,
T.N., U.P., Manipur and
 Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The term limestone is applied to any calcareous
sedimentary rock consisting essentially of
carbonates.
The two most important constituents are calcite
and dolomite.
Limestone often contains magnesium carbonate,
either as dolomite CaMg (CO3)2 or magnesite
(MgCO3) mixed with calcite.
The dimensional limestone is used as building
and ornamental stone.

The total resources of limestone are estimated
to be around 184,935 million tonnes.
Karnataka is the leading state having 28% of the
total resources followed by
Rajasthan (12%),
Gujarat (11%),
Meghalaya (9%) and
Chhattisgarh (5%).

The mica group represents 34
phyllosilicate minerals that exhibits a
layered or platy structure.
Commercially important mica minerals
are muscovite (potash or white mica)
and phlogopite (magnesium or amber
mica).

The total resources of mica in the country are
estimated to be around 532,237 tonnes.
Andhra Pradesh leads with 41% share in
country's total resources followed by
Rajasthan (21%)
Odisha (20%),
Maharashtra (15%),
Bihar (2%) and
balance ( less than 1%) in Jharkhand.

 Quartzite is a rock containing metamorphosed
quartz.
 The total quartzite resources are estimated to be
around 1,251 million tonnes.
 Bulk resources of about 50% are located in
Haryana followed by
 Bihar (22%),
 Maharashtra (7%),
 Punjab (6.5%),
 Odisha (5%) and
 Jharkhand (3%).

Mineral Resources in India

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Mineral Resources in India

Similar to Mineral Resources in India (20)

More from Prof. A.Balasubramanian

More from Prof. A.Balasubramanian (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Mineral Resources in India