GLOSSARY

Minerals and Metals : A World to Discover

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A
Aluminum	A light, malleable metal that is a good conductor of electricity. Commonly found in nature in oxidized form, bauxite.

Asbestos	One of the characteristics of this fibrous mineral is its high resistance to heat.

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B
Barren rock	Rock that does not contain minerals in quantities sufficient to allow for economically profitable mining.

Blasting	Technique to break ore in an underground or open-pit mine.

Bulk sampling	Removing mineral substances in substantial quantities (over 50 tonnes) in order to do mineral processing tests.

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C

Cadmium	Metal used in metal-protecting alloys.

Cage	Elevator for moving people up and down mine shafts.

Claim	Mining right that grants holder the exclusive right to search, within a given territory, for any mineral substance. May exclude peat, sand, clay, gravel, hydrocarbons, brine and stone used for industrial purposes.

Coal	A black or brownish-black solid combustible substance, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter, that is widely used as a natural fuel.

Concentrate	i) Substance of value produced by physical and/or chemical processing of ore. ii) The separation of economically valuable minerals from the gangue.

Containment pond	Structure for the accumulation of solid, chemical or dangerous substances in order to prevent their dispersal into the environment.

Contaminant	Any element or natural substance whose concentration locally exceeds the background concentration, or any substance that does not naturally occur in the environment.

Copper	Very malleable and ductile red metal that is a good conductor of electricity.

Core sample	Cylindrical sample of rock taken from the ground by drilling for research and exploration purposes.

Cross-cut	Drift in an underground mine that provides access to an orebody.

Crown or surface pillar	A body of rock of variable geometry that may or may not contain minerals. Located above the underground operations, it supports the surface above stopes.

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D

Development	A phase of activity ranging from confirmation of a mineral deposit to the decision to build a mine. Development includes all geological, engineering and economic work necessary to ensure profitable mining and compliance with applicable laws.

Diamond	The hardest and most brilliant of all precious gems. Drills are equipped with diamond tips in order to cut through hard rock.

Drift (tunnel)	Underground passageway that provides access to mining operations.
Drilling	Piercing a hole in rock. In exploration, drilling allows for samples of the rock to be taken. In mining, it is used to insert explosives for blasting.

Dyke (Vein)	A long mass of eruptive rock, a dyke (vein) may consist of mineral deposits located between other rocks.

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E

Erosion	Wearing away and transformation of the earth's crust caused by water (rain, sea), ice and atmospheric agents (wind).

Exploration	In the broad sense, the whole range of mining activity from searching for and developing mineral deposits to developing the mine. In the strict sense, the search for mineral deposits up to discovery and includes the delineation of the deposit by means of drilling and sampling.

Extraction	Mining activity that consists of removing the rock from an underground or open-pit mine.

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F

Flotation	A form of concentration of certain minerals from gangue based on their different surface reaction to chemical flocculants. A reagent (chemical flocculants) is used to adhere to the target mineral, which then rises to the top of the flotation cell with injected air, where it can be collected.

Foundry/smelter	A pyrometallurgical plant where the concentrate is chemicaly reduced in order to extract the metal or metals it contains.

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G

Gangue	Rock surrounding a mineral or precious gem in its natural state.

Geochemistry	The study of the chemical components of the earth's crust and mantle. Geochemistry is applied to mining exploration to detect sites that indicate abnormal concentrations either of the elements being sought or of their more readily detected associate elements. Depending on circumstance, geochemical exploration samples soils, rock, and lake and stream sediments.

Geology	Science devoted to the study of the structure and evolution of the earth's crust.

Geophysics	Study of the various physical properties of the earth and the composition and movement of its component layers of rock. Geophysics is applied to mining exploration to detect zones characterized by their physical properties such as magnetism, gravity or conductivity (electromagnetism).

Gold	A very ductile and malleable, brilliant yellow precious metal that is resistant to air and water corrosion.

Grinding	Means of reducing ore into very small particles by means of pressure or impact. Different types of grinders are used in the processing plant to obtain the desired dimension.

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H

Hazardous waste	Material that, given its quantity, concentration and composition or its corrosive, inflammable, reactive, toxic, infectious or radioactive characteristics, presents a real or potential danger to human health, safety and public well-being or poses a danger to the environment if it is not stored, treated, transported, eliminated, used or otherwise managed. Mine tailings are not normally hazardous waste.
Head frame	Structure above the mine shaft containing the equipment necessary for lowering and raising equipment and personnel, and for raising the ore that is generally stored in an ore bin before being transported to the processing plant.

Hematite	The most common iron ore, it is a natural iron oxide that is reddish or brown in colour.

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I

Ilmenite	An oxide of iron and titanium.

Infrastructure	Construction necessary for mining, such as certain buildings, gas pipes, water lines, sewage and water systems, telephone cables and reservoirs. It may also include roads, railways, airports and bridges, as well as transmission lines, electrical cables, pylons and transformers.

Iron	A ductile and malleable greyish white metal used in making steel.

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J

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K

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L

Leaching	Slow passage of a solvent through a layer of porous or crushed material in order to extract valuable components. For example, gold can be extracted by heap leaching a porous ore or pulverized tailings.

Lead	A heavy, soft, malleable, ductile but inelastic bluish grey metallic element found mostly in combination.

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M

Magma	Liquid or molten rock deep in the earth in a zone of very high temperatures and enormous pressure where rock fusion takes place (Upper Mantle).

Magnesium	A malleable and ductile silvery white metal that is used in alloys.

Magnetism	Branch of physics that studies the properties of magnets and magnetic fields.

Metamorphism	Changes over time in the composition and structure of rocks caused by pressure and temperature.

Mill/concentrator or processing plant	Surface plant facilities for ore treatment that allow for the recovery and removal of metals or the concentration of valuable minerals for smelting and refining.

Mine	A plant built to extract an ore or mineral substance either underground or from the surface. When the ore is extracted underground, the mine needs a system of excavations in the rock to gain access to the ore areas. When the ore is mined from surface, the ore is extracted from one or several pits.

Mineral	An inorganic natural substance is characterized by its atomic structure and physical and chemical properties.

Mineral deposit	Mineralized mass that may be economically valuable, but whose characteristics require more detailed information. An orebody being mined may be called a deposit.

Mineral processing	Process of extraction and concentration of economic minerals contained in ore. Mineral processing includes various procedures that rely on the mineral's gravimetric and magnetic characteristics, on its colour, and on reagents to make target particles float to the surface (flotation).

Mining	Activity whose purpose is the extraction, concentration, and smelting of economic minerals from a mineral deposit. It includes exploration (in the strict sense), development of mineral deposits, constructing the mine and mining, i.e., extracting and processing the ore or tailings.

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N

Nickel	A silvery white metal that is very resistant and stable at ambient temperatures.

Niobium	A rare, brilliant white metal always found in combination with tantalum.

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O

Ore	A natural aggregate of one or more minerals that can be mined and profitably sold under current conditions, or from which one or more minerals can be profitably extracted.

Ore reserves	The portion of a mineral deposit that can be profitably mined. Use of this term implies both an appropriate detailed knowledge of all the geological, engineering, economic and environmental parameters that might affect the profitability of the operation. For a new mining project or for the mining of new zones in an existing mine, a formal feasibility study is conducted to evaluate all parameters of the project.

Orebody	Mineralized mass whose characteristics have been determined and deemed to be commercially viable. The term "orebody" is used once the economic limits of the mineralized mass and its grade have been examined.

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P

Panning	Operation that consists of separating heavier minerals such as gold and sulphides from lighter metals in stream sediment, loose soil or crushed rock in a container shaped like a frying pan. In arid countries a similar operation, winnowing, can be performed without water.

Possible reserve	Ore deposits whose continuity has been determined from limited sampling information and reasonable extrapolation. It does not stand alone but is an extension of, or additional to, proven or probable reserves. Possible reserves are excellent targets for increasing a probable reserve and for extending the deposit over a larger and generally deeper area.

Potash	Any of several potassium salts, such as potassium chloride, mined and processed for use in agriculture and industry.

Primary crushing	Process of reducing blasted ore into smaller fragments so that it can be transported to the processing plant. In underground mines, the primary crusher is often located underground or at the entrance to the processing plant.

Probable reserve	Ore deposits whose continuity has been confirmed by samplings on a relatively detailed grid. The density of the grid allows for fairly precise determination of tonnage, density and mineral and metal content sufficient to prepare draft preliminary mining plans. Developing a new mine is usually undertaken with probable reserves.


Prospecting	In the broad sense, prospecting refers to exploration. In the strict sense, prospecting describes the search for surface mineralized showings (by prospectors).

Proven reserve	Ore deposits whose tonnage, density and mineral or metal content are known in detail. This implies that sampling and drilling have been carried out in a regular grid located near mine workings. The term is generally restricted to that part of a reserve that is being developed or mined or for which there is a detailed mining plan.

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Q

Quarry	Site where stone, rock and construction materials are extracted. Open-pit operation.

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R

Raise/Chute	Steeply inclined rectangular or cylindrical opening used for ventilation or for conveying ore, miners or equipment. The slope is generally 45 degrees but varies up to 90 degrees.

Refining	Purifying the matte or impure metal undertaken to obtain a pure metal or mixture with specific properties.

Rehabilitation	Restoring an old mining site for a new industrial function, recreational use, or to a natural state.

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S

Salt	A white, friable mineral that is highly soluble in water.

Sedimentation	Formation of sediment. A sediment is a natural deposit created by the action of dynamic external agents such as water, wind and ice.

Settling pond	Basin or pond that allows solid materials in suspension to settle.

Showing	An indication of mineralization, the extent and economic value of which are unknown.

Silver	A very malleable metal found naturally in an uncombined state or with other metals.

Skip	A container used in the mine shaft to vertically transport the ore up the mine shaft to the surface.

Slag	Vitreous materials containing impurities from the ore and forming on the surface of molten metals.

Stope	Area of mine from which ore is or has been extracted.

Sulphur	Element that occurs in a nature state or in compounds such as sulphides.

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T

Tailings dam	Structure designed to contain mine tailings and waste water.

Tailings pond	Place for storing mine tailings and other residues resulting from ore processing and mining.

Tailings	Sludge, mineral residue and waste water (apart from final effluent) resulting from ore extraction or processing and the slag from pyrometallurgical operations.

Tellurium	A rare metalloid found in its natural state, but often combined with heavy or precious metals.

Titanium	A brilliant white metal found in most igneous or sedimentary rocks.

Tonnage	The quantity of ore making up an orebody, or the rate at which ore is extracted.

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U

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V

Vein	Thin mineralized body.

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W

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X

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Y

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Z

Zinc	Bluish-white hard metal occuring in various minerals such as sphalerite.

Last Updated: 2006-04-20

Important Notices