Jul. 14, 2025
Chemicals
Non-metallic minerals are minerals that do not have any metal elements. Since they lack metals, they are usually found in sedimentary rocks and younger folded mountains.
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Here are some examples of Non Metallic Minerals
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Read More: Types of Resources
China is the largest producer of mica, followed by Finland. India has the largest mica reserves in the world.
Countries Regions India Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh Brazil Minas Gerais USA Northern Carolina, Georgia, New Mexico Russia Ural, Kola Peninsula, Siberia China Hebei provinceRead about: Energy Resources
Asbestos is a fibrous silicate mineral found in igneous rocks. There are two main ores of asbestos
Asbestos is fireproof, heat resistant, and has low electrical conductivity.
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Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was widely used in various industries due to its strong fibrous structure, heat resistance, and chemical stability. Some of the common uses of asbestos include:
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Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Brazil are the world’s top asbestos producers.
Countries Regions Russia Urals Canada Thetford mines in Quebec China Gansu province Brazil Sama’s Minaçu mineRead about: Iron Ore
Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The majority of its uses are in construction. Clay and powdered limestone are heated and used to create cement. Limestone is an important ingredient in toothpaste. It’s also used to remove impurities from blast furnaces in steel production. Most limestone in India comes from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The top three limestone producers in the world are China, the United States, and India.
Limestone is widely distributed and is a valuable natural resource that has many uses in various industries, including:
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Magnesite is a mineral composed of magnesium carbonate (MgCO3). Magnesite serves as a refractory material, a catalyst, a filler, and a raw ingredient in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, magnesium compounds, and fertilisers. With lower concentrations in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala, magnesite is primarily found in Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. The top producer is Russia, followed by Slovakia and China.
Magnesite is a white or greyish mineral that occurs naturally and can also be produced through industrial processes. Some of the common uses of magnesite include:
Read about: Chromium Ore
Kyanite is a blue or greenish mineral made of aluminium silicate. It is very heat-resistant, so it is used a lot in making cement, glass, and ceramics. India has the most kyanite deposits in the world, with the best quality found in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Other countries with significant kyanite deposits include Switzerland, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Nepal, and Tanzania.
Some of the common uses of kyanite include:
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Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O). Gypsum is a white, opaque compound made of hydrated calcium sulphate. It is mostly utilised in fertilisers that contain ammonium sulphate and in the cement industry. Additionally, it helps the soil retain moisture and absorb nitrogen in agriculture. In terms of output, Rajasthan is first, followed by Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. Iran and the United States are the next two biggest producers after China.
Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral that is widely distributed and is one of the most common minerals on Earth. Some of the common uses of gypsum include:
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Rocks, brine springs (saltwater springs), wells, salt pans in lakes, and seawater are all sources of salt. Less than 1% of the salt produced in India is extracted from rock in the states of Gujarat and Mandi. Approximately 10% of the supply is sourced from Rajasthan’s Sambhar Lake. Sea brine is used to manufacture salt in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. On the Gujarat coast, we manufacture over half of our salt. The United States, India, and China are the top three producers.
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Non-metallic minerals are those that are organic in origin, such as fossil fuels, or non-organic in nature, such as sand, gravel, mica, limestone, clay, and graphite. They do not include any metals. These materials don’t have the same metallic qualities as metals, such as strong electrical and thermal conductivity, lustre, rigour, and malleability, yet they are nonetheless crucial for many industries. Non Metallic Minerals are a crucial component of the Physical Geography and Human Geography sections of the IAS Exam syllabus.
Minerals are inorganic elements that are naturally occurring. They have a specific internal structure and chemical composition. That is they are are having their own chemical and physical properties. Some examples of minerals are quartz, mica, and calcite. It is broadly classified into two categories, such as metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals. Below is a discussion of non-metallic minerals, differences, and definitions.
Let’s see what minerals are and their importance before discussing non-metallic minerals. Modern machinery is totally dependent on mineral resources. Relying on minerals, man has reached space and at the same time reached the pinnacle of human civilization.
The extraction and use of minerals have been going on since ancient times. Extensive use of these resources dates back to the time of the industrial revolution. The development of industry started around the minerals, that is, the economic development of the country. So minerals are very important and essential.
Minerals are usually extracted from the top and bottom of the earth’s surface. For example, coal, iron ore, copper petroleum, etc. are extracted underground, and salt, limestone, etc. are extracted from the top of the surface. Mainly two types of minerals are extracted from the bottom and the top of the surface. Non-metallic minerals are one of them (1) & (4).
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Suggested reading:A type of mineral that has low densities, does not have any shining surface, and has less conductive power of heat and electricity. Also, does not yield any metals when molten, is known as a Non-metallic mineral (5).
1. Most of the non-metallic minerals are generally soft except, sulfur and phosphorus. But one non-metallic mineral carbon (in the form of the diamond) is very hard.
2. These minerals cannot conduct heat and electricity.
3. They have low melting points and boiling points except, for diamonds. The melting point of the diamond is however more than °C, which is very high.
4. This type of mineral does not have luster. It means this type of mineral does not have a shining surface.
5. They are neither malleable nor ductile. These types of minerals are brittle. These types of minerals break into pieces when hammered or stretched.
6. Are non-sonorous. They do not produce sound when they are hit by other objects.
7. They are solid, liquid, and gaseous at room temperature.
8. These types of minerals are not strong. They are easily broken.
9. These minerals have many different colors.
10. These types of minerals have low densities, that is these types of minerals are light (1) & (5).
According to use, there are four types of non-metallic minerals in nature. These are
Such non-metallic minerals are coal, mineral oil, natural gas, uranium, etc.
Marble, limestone, granite, gypsum, etc. are these types of non-metallic minerals.
Potash, Sulphur, dolomite, phosphate, etc. are non-metallic minerals used in the chemical industry.
Porcelain, mica, graphite, etc. (2) & (4).
They are naturally composed of a combination of chemical elements that lack most metallic properties. These minerals are mainly composed of carbon. For example, coal is basically composed of naturally occurring carbon (3).
Metallic minerals are the only minerals that have one or more metallic substances. They usually have glossy surfaces, conductors of heat and electricity, and can be expanded into thin sheets. When metallic minerals are mined, they are known as ores and ores should be further improved to separate the metals. First, the ore is crushed and then the metallic minerals are separated from the rock (3).
A review of the physical and chemical properties of metallic and non-metallic minerals shows that there are some differences between them. These differences are illustrated below.
In addition to the above differences, some similarities exist between non-metallic and metallic minerals. These are as follows
Some examples of non-metallic minerals are
Mica comes from the Latin word ‘micare’, which means shiny. It is found mainly in sedimentary rock. Sometimes it is also found in igneous and metamorphic rock. Large crystals of mica are used for various purposes and are specially mined from granite and pegmatite.
Most mica-producing countries use most mica to meet their own needs. India, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, Canada, South Korea, the USA, etc. are the exporter countries of mica. Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are the importer countries of mica. The largest mica producer in the world in was china. India produces about 60% of the world’s mica. In India, mica mines are located in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.
The chemical name of limestone is calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Pure limestone is rarely found in nature. The hardness of limestone is 3.0 and its relative weight is 2.6 to 2.8. Limestone can be formed in both organic and inorganic processes. Most limestones are rich in high levels of fossils. About 10% of sedimentary rocks are limestone.
In India limestone is produced in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, etc.
Uses
Magnesite is a non-metallic mineral. It has no melting and boiling point. The word magnesite comes from ‘magnesia’. Its chemical compositions are 47.6% MgO and 52.4% CO₂. Magnesite is found as a coarse-grained lump that looks a lot like cauliflower. It is mainly white in color.
Uses
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral. Its color is white. Its chemical formula is CaSO₄. 2H₂O. Gypsum is a malleable mineral. These minerals are slowly dissolved in water. Gypsum does not react with acids but dissolves in hydrogen chloride.
Uses
Gypsum, mica, Sulphur, dolomite, fluorspar, barite, calcite, quartz, diamond, sand, graphite, apatite, cryolite, celestite, magnesite, talc, feldspar, corundum, garnet, tripolite, clay, salt, potash, silica, fireclay, jasper, shale, pyrophyllite, ochre, kaolin, diaspore, felsite, chalk, fusch quartzite, slate, etc. are these types of minerals (2).
Two ways of using non-metallic minerals are
They are minerals that release various non-metals during smelting.
Gypsum, mica, Sulphur, dolomite, fluorspar, barite, calcite, quartz, diamond, sand, graphite, etc. are some examples of these types of minerals.
Minerals that do not release any metals when molten.
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