Diamonds are made of plain old carbon, the same material found in pencils or in the graphite powder used to lubricate locks. The difference between the black powder and a brilliant gemstone lies in the way the carbon atoms are joined together. In a diamond, each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a pyramid-like structure. This tightly bonded structure gives a diamond its characteristic hardness. Tremendous heat and pressure are required to make a diamond, and natural diamonds can only be formed deep in the Earth. They are brought to the surface by volcanic activity and are found in "pipes" of kimberlite. Kimberlite is a type of rock named after Kimberley in South Africa, where it was first found.
Source: Popular Geoscience Fact Sheet.
Gold plays an important role in keeping pilots safe. It is used in microelectronic circuitry in escape mechanisms, parachutes, and air-survival radios. (break here) Gold is the best metal to use in these applications because it does not corrode, crumble, or tarnish whatever the conditions; it is unaffected by moisture, oxygen, or ordinary acids, and is virtually indestructible.
Source: Minerals Information Institute.
Rare earth metals (REM) and rare earth elements (REE) are the collection of 17 earth elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium, and 15 lanthanides. Because of their unique magnetic, fluorescent and chemical properties, REM and REE are key materials used in science innovation.
Major rare earth applications are used in hybrid vehicles. For example the Toyota Prius, which NRCan uses in its car-pool fleet, contains 30 kg (65 lb) of REE. Rare earth elements are used in motors, metal hydride batteries, glass, autocatalysts, and electronics.
Sources: Natural Resources Canada; “Rare Earths at the Crossroads,” by Dudley J. Kingsnorth (September 2008).
Here are just a few consumer applications that rely on mining products:
Batteries cadmium, lithium, cobalt
Circuitry nickel
Computer/TV screens gold, copper, aluminum, steel, lithium, titanium, silver, cobalt, tin, lead, zinc
Eyeglasses silicon, boron, lead, barium
Sports equipment strontium, phosphorus, indium
Tires limestone, feldspar, soda ash, boron, graphite, aluminum, titanium, sulphur, bromine, iodine, zinc
Source: The Mining Association of Canada's Facts and Figures 2008.
