Mica

• Mica is a naturally occurring non-metallic mineral based on a collection of silicates.
• It occurs in the veins of metamorphic rocks and is also found in igneous and occasionally sedimentary rocks.
• Mica is chemically inert, stable, and does not absorb water.
• It is a good insulator that finds wide applications in the electrical and electronics industry due to its ability to withstand high voltage and low power loss factor.
• Mica is used in toothpaste and cosmetics because of its glittery appearance and as a mild abrasive in toothpaste.
• It has a unique combination of elasticity, toughness, flexibility, and transparency.

Mica Reserves in India

• Mica is widely distributed in India, the minerals bearing Mica is found in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, etc.
• State-wise total resource distribution of Mica is as follows:-
  • Andhra Pradesh leads with 41% share in the country’s total resources followed by
  • Rajasthan (21%)
  • Odisha (20%)
  • Maharashtra (15%)
  • Bihar (2%) and
  • The remaining 1% is in Jharkhand and Telangana together.

Mica Distribution in India

• Andhra Pradesh:
  • Largest mica producing state
  • Nellore district produces the best quality mica
  • Vishakhapatnam, West Godavari, and Krishna are other important mica-producing districts
• Rajasthan:
  • Second largest producer
  • Mica belt extends for about 320 kms from Jaipur to Bhilwara and around Udaipur
  • Bhilwara district is the most important producer of mica
• Jharkhand:
  • Third largest producer
  • Mica belt extends for about 150 km in length and 32 km in width from Gaya district of Bihar to Hazaribagh and Koderma districts of Jharkhand
  • Kodarma, Giridih, and Domchanch are the chief collecting centers where mica is processed
  • Munger in Bihar also has sufficient mica deposits
• Karnataka:
  • Mica deposits occur in Mysuru and Hasan districts
• Tamil Nadu:
  • Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai and Kanniyakumari districts have mica deposits
• Kerala:
  • Mica deposits are found in Alleppey district
• Maharashtra:
  • Ratnagiri has rich mica deposits
• West Bengal:
  • Purulia and Bankura are known for mica deposits.

Mica Exports

• India is the largest exporter of mica.
• Certain grades of Indian mica are and will remain vital to the world’s electrical industries.
• Major exports are carried out through Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam ports.
• Important imports of Indian mica are Japan (19%), the USA (17%), U.K, etc.

Limestone

• Limestone is composed of either calcium carbonate or the double carbonate of calcium and magnesium, or a mixture of these two constituents
• It contains small quantities of silica, alumina, iron oxides, phosphorus, and sulfur
• Limestone deposits are of sedimentary origin and exist in all geological sequences except in Gondwana
• The two most important constituents are calcite and dolomite
• Limestone is used for various purposes:
  • 75% in the cement industry
  • 16% in the iron and steel industry
  • 4% in the chemical industries
  • The rest is used in paper, sugar, fertilizers, glass, rubber, and ferromanganese industries.

Limestone Distribution in India

• Limestone occupies the top position in India, among non-fuel solid mineral deposits as per volume of annual extraction. Given India’s rapid urbanization and the demand for housing as well as infrastructure, the demand for limestone is likely to increase further.
• State-wise total resource distribution of limestone is as following:-
  • Karnataka is the leading state having 28% of the total resources followed by
  • Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan (11% each),
  • Telangana (9%),
  • Chhattisgarh (5%),
  • Madhya Pradesh (4%) and
  • remaining 21% by other states.
• 

As per 2014-15 data, State wise production of limestone:-

• Rajasthan: 21% of total limestone production, major producing districts include Jhunjhunu, Banswara, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Dungarpur, Kota, Tonk, Alwar, Sawai Madhopur, Nagaur
• Madhya Pradesh: 13% of total limestone production, major producing districts include Jabalpur, Satna, Betul, Sagar, Damoh, Rewa
• Andhra Pradesh: 12% of total limestone production, major deposits in Cuddapah, Kumool, Guntur, Krishna
• Gujarat: 9% of total limestone production, major producing districts include Amreli, Kachchh, Surat, Junagadh, Kheda, Panchmahals
• Chhattisgarh: 8% of total limestone production, major deposits in Bastar, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Raipur, Durg
• Tamil Nadu: 8% of total limestone production, major producing districts include Ramnathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tiruchchirappalli, Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur
• Karnataka: 8% of total limestone production, major producing districts include Gulbarga, Chitradurg, Tumkur, Belgaum, Bijapur, Mysore, Shimoga
• Telangana: 8% of total limestone production, major deposits in Nalgonda, Adilabad, Warangal, Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar
• Other states: Remaining 5% of total limestone production contributed by Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Kerala, Bihar, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Dolomite

• Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate.
• It can also refer to a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite.
• Dolomitic limestone is dolomite rock that also contains either calcite or a mixture of calcite and magnesite.
• Dolomite is used as blast furnace flux, a source of magnesium salts, and in fertilizer and glass industries.
• The iron and steel industry is the largest consumer of dolomite, followed by fertilizer, ferroalloys, and glass.
• Dolomite is found throughout the country.

Dolomite Distribution in India

• Chhattisgarh is the leading producing state of dolomite, accounting for 39% of total production in 2014-15, followed by Andhra Pradesh (11%), Karnataka (10%), Madhya Pradesh (9%), Telangana (8%), Odisha (7%), Gujarat and Rajasthan (6% each).
• Dolomite is widely distributed in all parts of the country.
• Dolomite is mainly used as blast furnace flux, as a source of magnesium salts, and in fertilizer and glass industries. The iron and steel industry is the chief consumer of dolomite (90%), followed by fertilizer, ferroalloys, and glass.
• The main dolomite deposits in Chhattisgarh occur in Bastar, Bilaspur, Durg, and Raigarh districts.
• The main dolomite deposits in Odisha occur in Sundargarh, Sambalpur, and Koraput districts.
• Dolomite occurs in bands to the north of Chaibasa in Singhbhum district and Palamu district in Jharkhand.
• Rajasthan’s main producing districts are Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, etc.
• Karnataka’s main producing districts are Belgaum, Bijapur, Chitradurga, and Mysore.

Asbestos

• Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals.
• It has commercial importance due to its fibrous character, infusibility, low heat conductivity, and high resistance to electricity, sound, and acid corrosion.
• Two minerals are included under the name asbestos: a variety of amphibole and a fibrous variety of serpentine (chrysotile).
• Chrysotile is the more important variety and accounts for 80% of commercial asbestos use.
• Asbestos is widely used for making fire-proof cloth, rope, paper, millboard, sheeting, aprons, gloves, and brake linings in automobiles.
• Asbestos cement products like sheets, pipes, and tiles are used for building purposes.
• When brittle, asbestos is made into filter pads for filtering acids.
• Mixed with magnesia, it is used for making “magnesia bricks” for heat insulation.

Asbestos distribution

• Out of the total resources, Rajasthan accounts for 13.6 million tonnes (61%) and Karnataka 8.28 million tonnes (37%). The remaining two percent of resources are estimated in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.
  • In Rajasthan, important occurrences are known in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Alwar, Ajmer, and Pali districts.
  • In Andhra Pradesh, asbestos of fine quality occurs in Pulivendla taluk of Cuddapah district.
  • In Karnataka, the main deposits occur in Hassan, Mandya, Shimoga, Mysore, and Chikmaglur districts.
  • Singhbhum district in Jharkhand
  • Chamoli district in Uttarakhand.

Magnesite

• Magnesite is a carbonate of magnesium.
• It is an alteration product of dunites (peridotite) and other basic magnesian rocks.
• Primarily used for manufacturing refractory bricks.
• Also used as a bond in abrasives and manufacture of a special type of cement for artificial stone, tiles, and for extraction of the metal magnesium.
• The steel industry also uses magnesite.
• Major deposits of magnesite are found in Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan.
• Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of magnesite in India.
• Tamil Nadu has one of the largest deposits of magnesite in the world, located at Chalk Hills near Salem town.
• Resources are also located in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, and Kerala.
• Tamil Nadu continued to be the major producing state with a maximum share of 78% in total output during 2014-15 followed by Uttarakhand (19% ), and the remaining 3% was contributed by Karnataka.

Kyanite

• Kyanite is found in metamorphic aluminous rocks and is able to withstand high temperatures.
• It is used in various industries including metallurgical, ceramic, refractory, electrical, glass, cement, and automotive.
• India has the largest deposits of kyanite in the world with all three grades found here.
• Kyanite grades are determined by aluminum content.
• Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are the main producers of kyanite in India.
• Major kyanite deposits are located in Saraikela in Jharkhand, Bhandara and Nagpur districts in Maharashtra, and Chickmaglur, Chitradurga, Mandya, Mysore, Dakshin Kannad and Shimoga districts in Karnataka.
• Telangana has 47% of the total kyanite resources in India, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 31%, Karnataka with 13%, and Jharkhand with 6%.
• The remaining 3% of resources are found in Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

Sillimanite

• Sillimanite has similar occurrence and uses as kyanite.
• It is found in Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.
• Major deposits are in Ganjam district in Odisha, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Ernakulam, and Kottayam districts in Kerala, Bhandara district in Maharashtra, Udaipur district in Rajasthan, and Hassan, Mysore, and Dakshin Kannada districts in Karnataka.
• State-wise, resources are mainly in Tamil Nadu (26%), Odisha (20%), Uttar Pradesh (17%), Andhra Pradesh (14%), Kerala (11%), and Assam (7%).
• Remaining 5% resources are in Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.

Gypsum

• Gypsum is a hydrated sulphate of calcium.
• It occurs in sedimentary formations such as limestones, sandstones and shales.
• It is mainly used in making ammonia sulphate fertilizer and in the cement industry.
• It is also used in making plaster of Paris, moulds in the ceramic industry, tiles, plastics, etc.
• It is applied as surface plaster in agriculture for conserving moisture in the soil and for aiding nitrogen absorption.
• Rajasthan is the largest producer of gypsum in India [81% of the total production of India].
• The main deposits occur in the Tertiary clays and shales of Jodhpur, Nagaur and Bikaner.
• Jaisalmer, Barmer, Chum, Pali and Ganganagar also have some gypsum bearing rocks.
• The remaining gypsum is produced by Tamil Nadu [Tiruchirapalli district], Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh in order of production.
• By States, Rajasthan alone accounts for 81% resources, Jammu & Kashmir 14%, and Tamil Nadu 2% resources.
• The remaining 3% resources are in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Potash

• Potash is a form of mineral potassium (K) used as fertilizer.
• Rajasthan has 94% of India’s potash resources, followed by Madhya Pradesh (5%) and Uttar Pradesh (1%).
• India does not commercially produce potash and relies on imports for its fertilizer needs.
• Potash deposits are found in Satna and Sidhi districts of Madhya Pradesh, Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, and Jaisalmer, Chittorgarh, and Kota districts of Rajasthan.

Sulphur

• India has no mineable elemental sulphur reserves.
• Pyrites were used as a substitute for sulphur in the past, but there has been no production of pyrites since 2003.
• Domestic production of elemental sulphur is limited to by-product recoveries from petroleum refineries and fuel oil used as feedstock for manufacturing fertilizer.

Salt

• Salt is obtained from seawater, brine springs, wells, salt pans in lakes, and from rocks.
• India is the world’s third-largest producer of salt after the US and China.
• Rock salt is mined in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh and in Gujarat.
• Gujarat coast produces almost half of India’s salt.
• The leading salt-producing state in India is Gujarat, followed by Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha, and Goa.