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Contents of 2.7 Nonsilicates

2.7 What are the most important minerals?

• Nonsilicates
• Carbonates: aragonite, dolomite
• Oxides: metal ores, e.g., Fe3O4 - magnetite
• Halite: NaCl (and some other halogen salts)
• Sulfides: FeS - pyrite; PbS - galena
• native elements: gold, silver, sulfur, copper

Many nonsilicate minerals have economic value

Examples:

Hematite (oxide mined for iron ore)

Halite (halide mined for salt)

Sphalerite (sulfide mined for zinc ore)

Native Copper (native element mined for copper)