How Is the Mineral Hematite Mined?
Introduction Hematite is a mineral that is a dull red color when it is in the Earth. Like all minerals, they can form into crystals, and hematite crystals are a metallic grayish blue. In countries such as Brazil, this mineral is used as an iron source. Hematite can also be used to make inexpensive jewelry. How is Hematite Mined? Hematite mines are usually in the form of an open pit mine. An open pit mine are massive manmade holes that are left exposed to the natural elements. First, rock and mineral are removed by using explosives to blast the rocks. Then the rocks and minerals are removed by placing them into massive dump trucks. These trucks can carry an average of 150 tons. All this is then stored in a large warehouse building, and all the rock debris will eventually be put into a rock quarry. What Happens Once the Hematite is Removed Fom the Earth The mineral is then removed from the rock by using caustic soda and corn starch. Water is used to gather all the mineral that is very fi
