Distribution of non-metallic minerals

Non-metallic minerals are a class of chemical elements that, when melted, yield no new products. Sand, gravel, limestone, clay, and marble are all examples of non-metallic minerals. These materials lack metallic qualities such as high electrical and thermal conductivity, lustre, rigour, and malleability; yet, they are critical for various industries. Non-metallic minerals are well recognised for their use in manufacturing cement, ceramic materials, glass, and lime goods. Thus, the application range is fairly extensive, encompassing anything from building material to sanitary ware to dinnerware and ornamental items. 

What are non-metallic minerals?

The conversion of non-metallic minerals to these products is frequently a time-consuming process that involves numerous phases such as heat, grinding, mixing, cutting, shaping, and honing. The non-metallic mineral products industry was once known in the United States as the stone, clay, glass, and concrete products industry. According to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), this subsector is classified as clay and refractory, glass and glass products, cement and concrete goods, and other non-metallic mineral products.

Distribution and uses of non-metallic minerals in India and their Properties

Limestone:

Limestone is made mainly of calcium carbonate. They are sedimentary in origin and are found in practically every geological period from the Precambrian to the recent, with the exception of Gondwana. Karnataka is the state with the most resources, accounting for 28 per cent of the overall resources, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Meghalaya, and Chhattisgarh. Six states – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka – produce more than three-fourths of India’s total limestone.

Dolomite:

Limestone that contains more than 10% magnesium is referred to as dolomite. Madhya Pradesh (29 per cent), Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra have access to this resource. Chhattisgarh is India’s largest producer of dolomite, accounting for more than 30% of the country’s total output. In metallurgical applications, dolomite is mostly used economically as refractories and flux in blast furnaces.

Mica:

Mica is an important mineral in the electrical and electronics industries due to its insulating qualities. Major mica bearing ores are found in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of mica in the country, accounting for 41% of the total, followed by Rajasthan, Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand. India maintains a stranglehold on mica production, accounting for around 60% of global output. Andhra Pradesh produces the most mica in India, followed by Rajasthan and Jharkhand. India is the world’s leading producer and exporter of mica.

Asbestos:

This material is extremely valuable commercially because of its fibrous structure, breaks into filaments, and high tensile strength. Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh generate nearly all of India’s asbestos, with minor amounts produced in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Nagaland.

Kyanite:

This mineral occurs naturally in aluminous metamorphic rocks, used in metals, ceramics, refractory, electrical, glass, and cement industries. India possesses the world’s greatest deposit of Kyanite. State-wise, Andhra Pradesh alone accounts for more than 78 per cent of resources, followed by Karnataka (13%) and Jharkhand (6%) Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, and West Bengal have the remaining 3% of resources. Jharkhand produces the most Kyanite, followed by Maharashtra.

Gypsum:

Hydrated calcium sulphate is a white opaque or transparent mineral in sedimentary formations such as limestones, sandstones, and shales. It is primarily utilised in ammonia sulphate and the cement industry. It is used in the ceramic industry to manufacture plaster of Paris and moulds.

Rajasthan has 81 per cent of the state’s resources, whereas Jammu & Kashmir has 14%. The remaining 5% of resources are located in Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan is India’s leading producer of gypsum, followed by Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir.

Diamonds:

These are frequently used to create ornaments and to polish the surfaces of metals, minerals, and gem cutting. The primary industrial application of diamonds is in the cutting edges of drills used during mineral exploration and mining. The primary diamond-bearing locations are Madhya Pradesh’s Panna belt and Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. Recently discovered fields include those in the Raichur-Gulbarga belt in Karnataka.

Atomic Minerals:

Uranium and Thorium are the two most abundant atomic minerals. The Atomic Mineral Directorate (AMD), established under the Department of Atomic Energy in India, is accountable for the geological exploration of uranium and thorium resources. These minerals serve as a vital foundation for the nuclear industry.

Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Meghalaya have uranium reserves. Uranium and Thorium have been discovered in magnetised rocks from Ladakh’s Nubra-Shyok valley. According to the study, the Uranium content of these rocks is unusually high, compared to 0.1 per cent or even less in ores discovered elsewhere in the country.

Monazite sands also include uranium deposits found on the east and west coastlines and in several parts of Bihar. Kerala’s shoreline has the highest concentration of monazite sand. India’s primary producers of Thorium are Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan.

Salt:

Seawater, brine springs, wells, salt pans in lakes, and rocks provide salt. Rock salt is extracted in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district and Gujarat. Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu rely on sea brine as a source of salt. Gujarat’s seashore produces roughly half of all the salt we consume.

Conclusion:

Non-metallic minerals are a class of chemical elements that, when melted, yield no new products. Sand, gravel, limestone, clay, and marble are all examples of non-metallic minerals. They lack metallic characteristics such as electricity, rigour, malleability, and thermal conductivity.