Minerals and Their Properties

Geology deals with the Earth's dynamics, rocks, minerals, past life, and landforms. To understand geological processes and their applications in society, a multidisciplinary approach is needed. This book discusses how minerals and their inherent properties can be used for the benefit of society. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks and soils, and more than 3,000 varieties of minerals have been identified. Mineral science, traditionally known as mineralogy, is the study of naturally occurring solid substances in the universe. These substances were formed by complex earth system processes and provide a key to understanding the composition and origins of the earth. These minerals are classified based on their physical and chemical characteristics, occurrence, and economic value. Globally, India is considered a potential resource for various mineral deposits. According to the Ministry of Mines, the Indian subcontinent produces as many as 95 minerals. These minerals are used in numerous industries like engineering, infrastructure, electronics, armoury, and food, etc. The physical properties of a mineral are characterized by the combination of crystal structure and chemical composition. To date, the chemical and physical properties of some of the new minerals are not known. Similarly, it is essential to develop artificial minerals to replace naturally occurring minerals. A lot of work has gone into developing low-cost materials in large quantities, with the same chemical properties as the natural materials, so that they can be used in a cost-effective way for the benefit of society and industry. Nowadays, minerals are also increasingly used in biomedical sciences and for assessing and managing water quality, especially in the Indian context. The feldspar group of minerals are the most abundant minerals in the Earth's crust and constitute up to 51 % of the continental crust. The weathering of minerals, especially feldspar, plays important role in soil formation. Soil provides indispensable resources for food production and shelter. The inherent fertility of soil depends on the presence of nutrient elements, hosting or holding minerals in rocks and sediments and their bioavailability by controlled weathering processes. Agricultural productivity is correlated with geologically recent additions of fresh rock debris by processes of volcanism, glaciations, denudation and deposition and chemical weathering of feldspars. Hence, the Feldspar group of minerals are important for increasing soil fertility and productivity. Mineral-based phosphors encourage the visual recurrence transformation to develop full-shading white emanating light-transmitting diodes (LEDs). Presently, most of the focus is on the advancement of novel mineral-based LED phosphors for strong state lighting. We have proposed a few new agent groups of mineral-based LED phosphors and strong state lighting innovations for vitality and eco-accommodating lighting frameworks. Long lasting mineral-based phosphors help in future extensions. Some of the economically important minerals of India, their properties, occurrences and government mineral policies are also discussed.