Minerals In The Box
Potash: Salts containing potassium
Provided by: Intrepid Potash, Inc.
East Mine
Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Potash is a commercial term for water-soluble
potassium (K) compounds, e.g. KOH (potassium hydroxide),
K2CO3 (potassium carbonate), KCl (potassium chloride), or
K2SO4 (potassium sulfate). Historically, potash was made by
cooking wood ashes to recover the potassium carbonate in an iron pot. When the solution was
cooked down, the remaining white residue was called “pot ash.”
Potassium occurs naturally in the earth and is listed as the 7th most abundant element in
the earth’s crust. Most of the potash mined today comes from ancient seabeds that were
deposited millions of years ago.
Potash is the source of potassium (K) used as a fertilizer. Plants use potassium for their
growth, reproduction, production of starches, and control of root growth.
Potassium is also vital in human diets. Adult dietary requirement for potassium is 2,000
mg/day. It controls the actions of nerves and muscles. Too little potassium in the body may
cause death. There are many natural sources such as bananas, other fresh fruits, carrots, turnips,
beets, garlic, onions, parsnips, rutabaga, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and milk.
Trona: trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate
Na3(CO3)(HCO3)•2H2O
Provided by: FMC Corporation
Westvaco Mine
Green River, WY 82935
Trona is a water-bearing carbonate mineral. The sodium,
carbonate, bicarbonate, and alkaline salts that make up trona were washed from northwestern
Wyoming into a shallow lake (Gosiute Lake) in southwestern Wyoming where evaporation
deposited the trona on the lakebed 50 to 60 million years ago. This area is the leading source for
trona (natural soda ash).
Trona is used to make soda ash (Na2CO3) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Soda ash
is used in the manufacturing of glass, paper, soap, and for controlling the acidity of water.
Sodium bicarbonate is used to make baking soda and baking powder both of which give off CO2
gas when heated to make baked foods fluffier. It’s also used to control the acidity of water and
to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from industrial flue gases.
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Fuller's Earth: Primarily Attapulgite,
Mg,Al)2Si4O10(OH)•4H2O
Provided by: Active Minerals International, LLC
Attapulgite Division
ACR Mine
Climax, Georgia 39834
Fuller’s earth is a very fine-grained hydrated
magnesium/aluminum silicate clay material mined mainly in southwest Georgia and the Florida
panhandle. Spain and Mexico are other important sources. The clay is mined, crushed, dried, and
then ground to a desired size.
The main uses for Fuller’s earth relate to its ability to absorb other things. It has been
widely used to absorb grease, oils, water, and pollutant ions thus making foods such as cooking
oils more clear and cosmetics smoother and easier to apply. It’s also used in cat litter and
bedding for pets to remove odors. Lesser amounts of fuller’s earth are used to absorb toxins and
bacteria from pharmaceuticals and as cattle feed supplement to help cattle produce more meat
and milk.
Iron: Hematite (Fe2O3) & Magnetite (Fe3O4)
Provided by: Cliffs Natural Resources
Tilden Mine
Ishpeming, Michigan 49849
Hematite and magnetite are two common sources of iron.
There are two forms of iron found in living things. In plants the
form is called nonheme, and is less easily absorbed. The form found in animals is called heme
and muscle tissues easily absorb it. Iron is an essential part of a balanced diet. It is used in the
formation of hemoglobin (an oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells) and myoglobin
(oxygen-receiving proteins in muscles). These proteins carry oxygen to all of a person’s body.
Hemoglobin picks up oxygen in the lungs and then releases it to individual cells. It also picks up
carbon dioxide that will be released back into the lungs for exhaling. Myoglobin stores oxygen
in the muscles.
The most important sources of dietary iron are fortified cereals, beans, and meat. Iron is
added to many foods to make sure that people get enough. The Recommended Daily Allowance
(RDA) for iron is 18 mg per day. The form of iron added to foods is usually in the form of foodgrade iron, called elemental iron or reduced iron.
Iron is also used by our body in our immune system, for reproduction, DNA synthesis,
healing, metabolism, and cofactors in enzyme functions.
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Gypsum:
Hydrated Calcium Sulfate, CaSO4•2H2O
Provided by: American Gypsum Co.
Gypsum, Colorado 81637
Although gypsum is used mainly to make wallboard, it also
has dietary uses. As an additive to foods it is used primarily as a
dietary supplement of calcium to help make strong bones. It also used
as a dough conditioner in baking and to reduce “stickiness” in
prepared food items. It helps coagulate soy bean curd into tofu.
Calcium is added to water to increase the “hardness” of water used in home brewing of beer and
mead (honey wine.) Medicinal uses include shampoos, foot creams, cosmetics, and a Chinese
medicine called shi gao.
Limestone: Primarily Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3
Provided by: Pioneer Sand Company, Inc.
Ingleside Quarry
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
Limestone contains calcium and a healthy body needs
about 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day of calcium where it promotes
the growth of strong bones and teeth. It is also needed in blood
to control blood pressure and in muscles to make them contract
and relax properly. Antacids are primarily made of calcium
compounds. The body also needs magnesium, vitamin D,
phosphorous, and fluoride to make strong bones. Vitamin D is needed to make the bones absorb
the calcium efficiently. Good sources of calcium other than limestone are dark green leafy
vegetables, fortified cereals, milk, and milk products.
Limestone is an important building material, particularly in road construction. It is also
used as filler or abrasive or acid neutralizer in products such as paints, toothpaste, and animal
feed supplements.
Halite (Salt): Sodium Chloride, NaCl
Source:
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Salt deposits are found in many places around the
world, both on the surface and underground.
Besides enhancing the flavor of food, preserving
food, and serving as a household cleaner, the human body
needs salt to maintain blood pressure and nerve functions.
Salt stimulates muscle contractions and helps prevent
cramping. It is also important in the digestive system. In the
mouth, salt activates the salivary amylase enzyme that allows
the taste buds to taste the food as it is chewed. Further down in the digestive tract salt
contributes the chlorine to make hydrochloric acid for the stomach. The acid is responsible for
the breakdown of proteins and other foods we eat.
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Titanium Minerals: Ilmenite, Rutile and Leucoxene
Provided by: DuPont Titanium Technologies
Maxville Mine
Starke, Florida 32091
Titanium is the ninth most common element in the
earth’s crust. It is a relatively light metal but it has very high
strength, more than steel or aluminum. In its pure form the
metal resists corrosion, much like aluminum.
Rutile is primarily titanium dioxide, TiO2, and ilmenite is TiO2 with iron, TiO2.FeO.
Leucoxene is a metamorphic form of ilmenite. These minerals are found in sand in deposits
along the southeastern U.S. coast.
Titanium dioxide is used as a whitener in toothpaste, medicine, paint, cosmetics,
sunscreen, and sweets (think of the white “M” on M&M’s candies.) It can also be found in cake
icings and salad dressings.
Titanium dioxide is a photo catalyst. In roof tiles it is self-cleaning, and helps fight
smog. It is also incorporated into building materials to make the materials self-cleaning.
Titanium dioxide acts as a catalyst to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) into water-soluble nitrates.
The titanium dioxide is refreshed when it rains.
Picture Credits:
Potash; Encyclopedia.com
Trona; Wyoming Mining Association
Attapulgite; Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Iron Ore Concentrate; Wikipedia
Gypsum; Minerals Education Coalition
Limestone; Minerals Education Coalition
Halite; Minerals Education Coalition
Titanium; Penetanguishene Secondary School website.
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