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Mineral: Silicon Carbide

Mineral Origin: Sample donated by Norton Company

Primary Commodity: Silica (abrasive)

Primary Commodity Uses: Just as their name implies, abrasives are used to abrade, clean, etch, grind, polish, scour, or otherwise remove material

Mineral: Alumina-Zirconia Abrasive

Mineral Origin: Manufactured in Huntsville, AL (Sample on loan from J.B. Hedrick)

Primary Commodity: Aluminum and zirconia

Primary Commodity Uses: This abrasive is primarily used in metal casting and the foundry process

Mineral: Molybdenite

Mineral Origin: Henderson Mine, Empire, CO

Primary Mineral Commodity: Molybdenum

Mineral: Tetrahedrite (a copper antimony sulfosalt)

Mineral Origin: Bingham Canyon, UT

Main Commodity: Silver

Mineral: Silicon Carbide

Mineral Origin: Sample donated by Norton Company

Primary Commodity: Silica (abrasive)

Primary Commodity Uses: Just as their name implies, abrasives are used to abrade, clean, etch, grind, polish, scour, or otherwise remove material

Mineral: Silicon Carbide

Mineral Origin: Sample donated by Norton Company

Primary Commodity: Silica (abrasive)

Primary Commodity Uses: Just as their name implies, abrasives are used to abrade, clean, etch, grind, polish, scour, or otherwise remove material

Mineral: Halite (NaCl)
Primary mineral Commodity: Salt

Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock

Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY

Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite

Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking

Mineral: Fluorite

Mineral Origin: Cave-in-Rock District, IL (Sample donated by H.B. Wood)

Primary Commodity: Fluorspar 

Mineral: Vanadinite

Mineral Origin: J.C. Holmes Claim, Patagonia, AZ (Sample donated by G. van Oss)

Primary Commodity: Vanadium

Mineral: Bastnaesite (the reddish parts) in Carbonatite

Mineral Origin: Mountain Pass, CA

Primary Commodity: Rare earth elements

Primary Commodity: Bismuth

Primary Commodity Uses: Bismuth is the heaviest of the heavy metals and the only non-toxic one at that. As such, it’s seen a lot of use in replacements for lead, as well as in medications and atomic research.

Mineral: Halite (NaCl)
Primary mineral Commodity: Salt

Mineral: Specularite (a variety of Hematite)

Mineral Origin: Republic Mine, MI

Primary Mineral Commodity: Iron

Commodity Uses: Steelmaking

Stibnite (Sb2S3) is the predominant ore mineral of antimony. Antimony compounds help prevent skin burns, increase battery life, and refine glass used for cellphones. A surprising 83% of antimony consumed stateside is imported—mostly from China—leaving the US susceptible to supply disruption.

Mineral: Chalcopyrite

Mineral Origin: Bingham Canyon, UT

Primary Commodity: Copper

Primary Commodity Uses: Copper is used primarily in electronics, mostly in building construction and industrial electronics.

Mineral: Bauxite

Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)

Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium

Mineral: Wolframite
Primary Commodity: Tungsten
Primary Commodity Uses: Tungsten is one of the densest metals on the planet, and therefore gets used in metalworking and construction, as well as in heat sinks, weights, and even vibrating batteries.

Mineral: Chromite

Mineral Origin: Owings Mills, MD

Primary Commodity: Chromium

Primary Commodity Uses: Chromium mostly goes into stainless steel and other alloys, as well as in color pigments.

Mineral: Bauxite

Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)

Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium

Rock: Conglomerate (Gold Ore) Contains sediments of Precambrian age; contains about 8 grams of gold per ton of rock.