Raw Materials for Industry: Natural, Animal, Plant & Mineral Resources

Raw Materials — Natural Raw Materials (1.1)

To develop an industrial product, raw materials are needed: natural raw materials. These raw materials are found in nature and, when properly processed in industries, become usable products. The natural raw materials can be classified into animal, vegetable, and mineral materials.

Raw Materials of Animal Origin

Raw materials of animal origin such as wool or fur come from livestock and are used in the textile industry to make, for example, clothing. Fish is also a commodity, used to make preserves, oils, and fishmeal.

Vegetable Raw Materials

Vegetable raw materials can be agricultural products like cotton used to make textiles, or forest products such as wood for furniture, or rubber used in tires.

Mineral Raw Materials

Mineral raw materials are extracted from the subsoil. Most of these minerals cannot be used directly to produce a product, so they are subjected to processing or industrial processes that produce a suitable material for manufacturing. Minerals can be classified into three groups: metals, non-metallics, and energy minerals.

• Metallic Minerals

  Metallic minerals are those from which metals are extracted, such as hematite (from which iron is obtained) or bauxite (from which aluminum is extracted). They are very important because they form the basis of the steel and metal industries. They also include ores of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc.).

• Non-metallic Minerals

  Non-metallic minerals provide other materials, such as salt or sulfur. Industrial rocks like granite, slate, and marble are used primarily in construction.

• Energy Minerals

  Coal, natural gas, uranium, and oil serve to produce energy; for this reason they are called energy minerals.

Mining (1.2)

Most minerals are found underground. Mining is the set of processes by which minerals can be extracted. Mines are of two main types: surface (open-pit) or underground. In underground mines, ore extraction is more complicated, expensive, and dangerous for workers because of the need to dig tunnels, drain accumulated water, and renew the air.

E 3 Item 5. Industry and energy.