Some Important Ores of Metals

Ores - Those minerals from which the metals are extracted commercially and economically and with minimum effort are called Ores of Metals.

Aluminium, for example, is the most common metal in the Earth's crust, occurring in all sorts of minerals. However, it isn't economically worthwhile to extract it from most of these minerals. Instead, the usual ore of aluminium is bauxite - which contains from 50 - 70% of aluminium oxide.

Copper is much rarer, but fortunately can be found in high-grade ores (ones containing a high percentage of copper) in particular places. Because copper is a valuable metal, it is also worth extracting it from low-grade ores as well.

Let us have look on a list of some Important Elements and their Ores along with their chemical formula.

Some Important Ores of Metals

1. Name of Elements: Aluminum (Al)

Ores: Bauxite: Al2O32H2O

Corundum: Al2O3

Kryolite: Na3AlF6 

2. Name of Elements: Iron (Fe)

Ores: Hematite: Fe2O3

Magnetite: Fe3O4

IronPyrite: FeS2

Siderite: FeCO3

3. Name of Elements: Copper (Cu)

Ores: Copper Pyrite: CuFeS2

Copper Glance: Cu2S

Malachite: 2CuCO3Cu(OH)2

4. Name of Elements: Zinc (Zn)

Ores: Zinc Blende: ZnS

Calamine: ZnCo3

5. Name of Elements: Sodium (Na)

Ores: Rock Salt: NaCl

Sodium Carbonate: Na2CO3

6. Name of Elements: Potassium (K)

Ores: Karnalite: KClMgCl6H2O

Salt Petre: KNO3

7. Name of Elements: Lead (Pb)

Ores: Galena: PbS

Anglesite: PbCl2

8. Name of Elements: Tin (Sn)

Ores: Tin Pyrites: Cu2FeSnS4

Classiterite: SnO2

9. Name of Elements: Silver (Ag)

Ores: Silver Glance: Ag2S

10. Name of Elements: Gold (Au)

Ores: Calve rite: AuTe2

Sybarite: AgAuTe2

11. Name of Elements: Mercury (Hg)

Ores: Cinnabar: HgS

Calomel: Hg2Cl2

12. Name of Elements: Magnesium (Mg)

Ores: Dolomite: MgCO3CaCO3

Karnalite: KClMgCl26H2O

Name of Elements: Calcium (Ca)

Ores: Lime Stone: CaCO3

Dolomite: MgCO3CaCO3

Name of Elements: Phosphorous (P)

Ores: Phosphorite: Ca3(PO4)CaFe2

Floreopetite: 3Ca3(PO4)CaFe2