Mining is the process of extracting minerals from the earth so that they can be made into essential products.
The world's ability to support its population is sustained by the many products provided by the minerals and metals industry. Mining continues to provide necessary and valuable minerals as well as energy resources. Consider a world without advanced manufacturing, agriculture or mass-scale energy production.
Virtually all of mankind's needs must be dug from the earth, grown in the soil, or taken from the sea. As the world population increases and becomes more technologically advanced, the demand for minerals will increase as there is increased development in electronics, medicine, telecommunications and transportation.
It is necessary to produce more than 40,000 pounds of new minerals a year for every man, woman and child living in the United States.
Limestone is one of those minerals mined. Limestone and quicklime products are used to extract many of the minerals required.
Product Application
Both quicklime and hydrated lime are widely used in the flotation or recovery of many non-ferrous ores. Lime is used in the flotation of copper, zinc, nickel, and lead bearing ores.
Lime is used extensively in the recovery of gold and silver. Ores, either run of mine, milled, autoclaved, or roasted are combined with lime and a cyanide solution. The cyanide dissolves the gold and silver. Lime maintains proper pH in the cyanide solution keeping it in the liquid phase, preventing the formation of hydrogen cyanide gas and its loss into the atmosphere.
Graymont's largest customer base is made up of the minerals industry and Graymont is proud of its contribution in this important sector.
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