About The Minerals
What is Serpentine?
- Serpentine is a type of magnesium hydroxysilicate (Mg3Si2O5(OH)4) mineral.
- Used to produce magnesia (magnesium oxide) and magnesium (metal).
Magnesia is used in the production/process of:
- Abrasives
- Animal feed supplement
- Boiler additives
- Magnesium-based salts
- Coatings
- Construction
- Electrical
- Fertilisers
- Foundries
- Glass
- Insulation
- Lubricants
- Pharmaceuticals
- Plastics
- Refractory and ceramics
- Rubber
- Steel
- Sugar refining
- Sulfite wood pulping
- Wastewater treatment
- Titanium production
What is Chromite?
- A key industrial mineral used in the production of metallic chromium, an alloying ingredient in stainless steel.
- World consumption of chromite is approximately 22 million tons per year (as at 2008), over 90% of which is consumed as ferrochrome, dedicated to stainless steel production.
Chromite and Chromite-derived chemicals are used in the production/process of:
- Cleaning laboratory glassware
- Titrating agent
- Fabric dyes (as a mordant, i.e., fixing agent).
- Magnetic tape
- Well drilling muds (as an anti-corrosive)
- Medicine (as a dietary supplement or slimming aid)
- Gasoline additive
- High-temperature electrical conductor
- Harden steel, manufacture stainless steel, and form many useful alloys (It is mostly used in plating to produce a hard, beautiful surface and to prevent corrosion)
- Paint pigments and development dyes
- Wood preservation
- Leather tanning