You can get here, there and everywhere with minerals
Quarrying is often regarded as an ancient art that has little relevance to today’s modern environment. It is almost anachronistic to suggest that the high speed railways, multi-lane motorways and super jumbo jets that help us commute to work or enjoy our holidays just wouldn’t exist without minerals being extracted from the ground.Lets consider for a moment the amount of metal required to fly us through the air, sail from port to port, to keep trains on track and just allow us to drive to wherever we want to go.
Uses
From the bodywork of the car through to the jet engines and propellers that power the most sophisticated aircraft and sea vessels, those metals have been produced from minerals that have been quarried. Aluminium from bauxite and alloys and super alloys from beryllium, chromium, cobalt, titanium and vanadium all produce iron and steel of different strengths and resistance to suit the particular transport applications they are being put to.
As well as providing the metal for the frames, axles, gearboxes, exhausts and many of the mechanical moving parts for all of these modes of transport, minerals also play an important part in providing the surfaces that they travel on and the energy they consume.
Contributing to the Economy
Minerals and our understanding of the Environment
The use of minerals to keep us moving has also been impacted by our growing awareness of environmental issues. For example, platinum is used in the catalytic converters found in buses, trucks and cars to convert the noxious engine emissions into less harmful waste. And the increasing use of electric vehicles has seen a rise in the demand for graphite, the crystal form of carbon. Graphite is used to construct the anode of batteries to help control the flow of electrons into the device the battery is being used in.
An example: Graphite
Without minerals in our life, we would know very little about the world we live in. Our ability to travel for work and pleasure would be severely restricted without minerals contributing to everything from the humble bicycle through to supersonic jets. Being able to go out and explore the world, meet new people and enjoy new experiences are all facilitated by the contribution minerals make to our built environment.
If you want to learn more about working with minerals then download our pamphlet that we produce for our Minerals Week, below. We have even more facts on more minerals in the pamphlet.
Fascinated by all the ways we use minerals in our lives and want to find out how you can be involved. We are always on the look out for new talent to support, recognise and train on their quarrying journey. Sound like something you would be interested in, visit our quarrying faces to have an insight into the lives of the people who get you your minerals.