Materials and minerals in daily life: economic and supply considerations

Minerals

In the daily life of an Average American there are numerous materials one encounters which are extracted from minerals that are mined. For the purpose of example, the following materials will be discussed with specific investigation of the minerals mined to supply each of these materials. The materials are limestone, salt, plaster, copper, and graphite, each is encountered on a daily basis and are extracted from certain minerals that are mined.

Limestone is the first material that will be discussed and has a number of uses including "road aggregate, as building stone, and as the main ingredient in portland cement." (Lutgen, 2011, p.31) It is in it's form as portland cement that the average American encounters limestone. Portland cement is used in the construction of many of the buildings an average person will enter from shopping malls, office buildings, or many other types of structures. It is nearly impossible for a person not to come into contact with portland cement and thus with limestone. In it's natural form, limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of the mineral calcite.

Sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of sediments and when those sediments were at the bottom of an ancient ocean there can sometimes form deposits of the mineral halite. "Halite is the mineral name for common table salt," something that the average person cannot help but come into contact with. (Lutgen, 2011, p.31) It is found in fast-food, microwavable dinners, frozen meals, canned goods, and most types of soda. Salt may indeed by the most widely used material in the preparation of all types of foods and ingesting too much salt has become a common problem.

Another mineral that is mined from sedimentary rocks and also is the result of sediments forming on the bottom of ancient sea beds, is gypsum. This mineral is the primary ingredient in plaster drywall and makes up most walls. Drywall plaster is created by using gypsum plaster, combined with other ingredients, to make pre-set boards that are commonly used in the construction of homes and apartment buildings. Just about every personal dwelling contains plasterboard in some form.

Each and every day a person needs the use of clean water, whether for bathing, drinking, disposing of excrement, or cooking, the availability of fresh water has become a marker for civilization. In the modern world fresh water is usually provided by means of copper pipes, and anyone who uses a washroom, cooks, bathes, or swims comes into contact with copper in the form of tubing. A major source of copper comes from the mineral chalcopyrite, which may be the most common and important copper ore.

Finally, graphite is a mineral that has been used for centuries and is still vital for the manufacture of many items. For instance, lithium-ion batteries are dependent upon graphite and most people use these batteries for everything from cell-phones to computers. However, the most common use of graphite, and one where most people will come into contact with it comes in the form of the ordinary pencil. The writing part of the pencil is composed of graphite mixed with clay, surrounded by a wood-pulp holder.