Robert R. Seal
Robert (Bob) Seal is a Research Geologist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Oxide and Cation Compositions of Feldspar Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota Oxide and Cation Compositions of Feldspar Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota
The table contains oxide and cation compositions of feldspar grains from drill core of the Duluth Complex. The oxides were determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and are are reported in weight percent (wt%). The cations were then calculated and are reported in mole percent (mol%). Feldspar grains are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals with potassium (K), sodium (Na...
Oxide and Cation Compositions of Pyroxene Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota Oxide and Cation Compositions of Pyroxene Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota
The table contains oxide and cation compositions of pyroxene grains from drill core in the Duluth Complex. The oxides were determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and are reported in weight percent (we%). The cations were calculated from the oxide concentrations and are reported in mole percent (mol%). Pyroxene minerals are a group of rock-forming inosilicate minerals with...
Major, Minor, and Trace Element Compositions of Bulk Drill Core Samples from the Duluth Complex, Minnesota Major, Minor, and Trace Element Compositions of Bulk Drill Core Samples from the Duluth Complex, Minnesota
This table reports major, minor, and trace element compositions of bulk drill core samples from the Duluth Complex, Minnesota. Major elements were measured using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES); minor and trace elements were determined using ICP-AES, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)...
Global Distribution of Selected Mines, Deposits, and Districts of Critical Minerals Global Distribution of Selected Mines, Deposits, and Districts of Critical Minerals
The point and polygon layers within this geodatabase present the global distribution of mineral resource features (deposits, mines, districts, mineral regions) for 22 minerals or mineral commodities considered critical to the economy and security of the United States as of 2017. These data accompany the report by Schulz and others (2017) which provides national and global information on...
Filter Total Items: 97
Germanium and indium Germanium and indium
Germanium and indium are two important elements used in electronics devices, flat-panel display screens, light-emitting diodes, night vision devices, optical fiber, optical lens systems, and solar power arrays. Germanium and indium are treated together in this chapter because they have similar technological uses and because both are recovered as byproducts, mainly from copper and zinc...
Authors
W.C. Shanks, Bryn Kimball, Amy C. Tolcin, David Guberman
Vanadium Vanadium
Vanadium is used primarily in the production of steel alloys; as a catalyst for the chemical industry; in the making of ceramics, glasses, and pigments; and in vanadium redox-flow batteries (VRBs) for large-scale storage of electricity. World vanadium resources in 2012 were estimated to be 63 million metric tons, which include about 14 million metric tons of reserves. The majority of the...
Authors
Karen Kelley, Clint Scott, Desiree Polyak, Bryn Kimball
Platinum-group elements Platinum-group elements
The platinum-group elements (PGEs)—platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium—are metals that have similar physical and chemical properties and tend to occur together in nature. PGEs are indispensable to many industrial applications but are mined in only a few places. The availability and accessibility of PGEs could be disrupted by economic, environmental, political...
Authors
Michael Zientek, Patricia Loferski, Heather Parks, Ruth Schulte, Robert R. Seal
Zirconium and hafnium Zirconium and hafnium
Zirconium and hafnium are corrosion-resistant metals that are widely used in the chemical and nuclear industries. Most zirconium is consumed in the form of the main ore mineral zircon (ZrSiO4, or as zirconium oxide or other zirconium chemicals. Zirconium and hafnium are both refractory lithophile elements that have nearly identical charge, ionic radii, and ionic potentials. As a result...
Authors
James Jones, Nadine M. Piatak, George Bedinger
Rare-earth elements Rare-earth elements
The rare-earth elements (REEs) are 15 elements that range in atomic number from 57 (lanthanum) to 71 (lutetium); they are commonly referred to as the “lanthanides.” Yttrium (atomic number 39) is also commonly regarded as an REE because it shares chemical and physical similarities and has affinities with the lanthanides. Although REEs are not rare in terms of average crustal abundance...
Authors
Bradley Van Gosen, Philip Verplanck, Robert R. Seal,, Keith Long, Joseph Gambogi
Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply
Summary Mineral commodities are vital for economic growth, improving the quality of life, providing for national defense, and the overall functioning of modern society. Minerals are being used in larger quantities than ever before and in an increasingly diverse range of applications. With the increasing demand for a considerably more diverse suite of mineral commodities has come renewed...
Rhenium Rhenium
Rhenium is one of the rarest elements in Earth’s continental crust; its estimated average crustal abundance is less than 1 part per billion. Rhenium is a metal that has an extremely high melting point and a heat-stable crystalline structure. More than 80 percent of the rhenium consumed in the world is used in high-temperature superalloys, especially those used to make turbine blades for...
Authors
David John, Robert R. Seal, Désirée E. Polyak
Manganese Manganese
Manganese is an essential element for modern industrial societies. Its principal use is in steelmaking, where it serves as a purifying agent in iron-ore refining and as an alloy that converts iron into steel. Although the amount of manganese consumed to make a ton of steel is small, ranging from 6 to 9 kilograms, it is an irreplaceable component in the production of this fundamental...
Authors
William Cannon, Bryn Kimball, Lisa Corathers
Cobalt Cobalt
Cobalt is a silvery gray metal that has diverse uses based on certain key properties, including ferromagnetism, hardness and wear-resistance when alloyed with other metals, low thermal and electrical conductivity, high melting point, multiple valences, and production of intense blue colors when combined with silica. Cobalt is used mostly in cathodes in rechargeable batteries and in...
Authors
John Slack, Bryn Kimball, Kim Shedd
Beryllium Beryllium
Beryllium is a mineral commodity that is used in a variety of industries to make products that are essential for the smooth functioning of a modern society. Two minerals, bertrandite (which is supplied domestically) and beryl (which is currently supplied solely by imports), are necessary to ensure a stable supply of high-purity beryllium metal, alloys, and metal-matrix composites and...
Authors
Nora Foley, Brian W. Jaskula, Nadine M. Piatak, Ruth Schulte
Graphite Graphite
Graphite is a form of pure carbon that normally occurs as black crystal flakes and masses. It has important properties, such as chemical inertness, thermal stability, high electrical conductivity, and lubricity (slipperiness) that make it suitable for many industrial applications, including electronics, lubricants, metallurgy, and steelmaking. For some of these uses, no suitable...
Authors
Gilpin Robinson, Jane Hammarstrom, Donald Olson
Tellurium Tellurium
Tellurium (Te) is a very rare element that averages only 3 parts per billion in Earth’s upper crust. It shows a close association with gold and may be present in orebodies of most gold deposit types at levels of tens to hundreds of parts per million. In large-tonnage mineral deposits, such as porphyry copper and seafloor volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, sulfide minerals may contain...
Authors
Richard Goldfarb, Byron Berger, Micheal George, Robert R. Seal,
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Oxide and Cation Compositions of Feldspar Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota Oxide and Cation Compositions of Feldspar Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota
The table contains oxide and cation compositions of feldspar grains from drill core of the Duluth Complex. The oxides were determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and are are reported in weight percent (wt%). The cations were then calculated and are reported in mole percent (mol%). Feldspar grains are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals with potassium (K), sodium (Na...
Oxide and Cation Compositions of Pyroxene Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota Oxide and Cation Compositions of Pyroxene Grains from Drill Core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota
The table contains oxide and cation compositions of pyroxene grains from drill core in the Duluth Complex. The oxides were determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and are reported in weight percent (we%). The cations were calculated from the oxide concentrations and are reported in mole percent (mol%). Pyroxene minerals are a group of rock-forming inosilicate minerals with...
Major, Minor, and Trace Element Compositions of Bulk Drill Core Samples from the Duluth Complex, Minnesota Major, Minor, and Trace Element Compositions of Bulk Drill Core Samples from the Duluth Complex, Minnesota
This table reports major, minor, and trace element compositions of bulk drill core samples from the Duluth Complex, Minnesota. Major elements were measured using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES); minor and trace elements were determined using ICP-AES, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)...
Global Distribution of Selected Mines, Deposits, and Districts of Critical Minerals Global Distribution of Selected Mines, Deposits, and Districts of Critical Minerals
The point and polygon layers within this geodatabase present the global distribution of mineral resource features (deposits, mines, districts, mineral regions) for 22 minerals or mineral commodities considered critical to the economy and security of the United States as of 2017. These data accompany the report by Schulz and others (2017) which provides national and global information on...
Filter Total Items: 97
Germanium and indium Germanium and indium
Germanium and indium are two important elements used in electronics devices, flat-panel display screens, light-emitting diodes, night vision devices, optical fiber, optical lens systems, and solar power arrays. Germanium and indium are treated together in this chapter because they have similar technological uses and because both are recovered as byproducts, mainly from copper and zinc...
Authors
W.C. Shanks, Bryn Kimball, Amy C. Tolcin, David Guberman
Vanadium Vanadium
Vanadium is used primarily in the production of steel alloys; as a catalyst for the chemical industry; in the making of ceramics, glasses, and pigments; and in vanadium redox-flow batteries (VRBs) for large-scale storage of electricity. World vanadium resources in 2012 were estimated to be 63 million metric tons, which include about 14 million metric tons of reserves. The majority of the...
Authors
Karen Kelley, Clint Scott, Desiree Polyak, Bryn Kimball
Platinum-group elements Platinum-group elements
The platinum-group elements (PGEs)—platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium—are metals that have similar physical and chemical properties and tend to occur together in nature. PGEs are indispensable to many industrial applications but are mined in only a few places. The availability and accessibility of PGEs could be disrupted by economic, environmental, political...
Authors
Michael Zientek, Patricia Loferski, Heather Parks, Ruth Schulte, Robert R. Seal
Zirconium and hafnium Zirconium and hafnium
Zirconium and hafnium are corrosion-resistant metals that are widely used in the chemical and nuclear industries. Most zirconium is consumed in the form of the main ore mineral zircon (ZrSiO4, or as zirconium oxide or other zirconium chemicals. Zirconium and hafnium are both refractory lithophile elements that have nearly identical charge, ionic radii, and ionic potentials. As a result...
Authors
James Jones, Nadine M. Piatak, George Bedinger
Rare-earth elements Rare-earth elements
The rare-earth elements (REEs) are 15 elements that range in atomic number from 57 (lanthanum) to 71 (lutetium); they are commonly referred to as the “lanthanides.” Yttrium (atomic number 39) is also commonly regarded as an REE because it shares chemical and physical similarities and has affinities with the lanthanides. Although REEs are not rare in terms of average crustal abundance...
Authors
Bradley Van Gosen, Philip Verplanck, Robert R. Seal,, Keith Long, Joseph Gambogi
Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply
Summary Mineral commodities are vital for economic growth, improving the quality of life, providing for national defense, and the overall functioning of modern society. Minerals are being used in larger quantities than ever before and in an increasingly diverse range of applications. With the increasing demand for a considerably more diverse suite of mineral commodities has come renewed...
Rhenium Rhenium
Rhenium is one of the rarest elements in Earth’s continental crust; its estimated average crustal abundance is less than 1 part per billion. Rhenium is a metal that has an extremely high melting point and a heat-stable crystalline structure. More than 80 percent of the rhenium consumed in the world is used in high-temperature superalloys, especially those used to make turbine blades for...
Authors
David John, Robert R. Seal, Désirée E. Polyak
Manganese Manganese
Manganese is an essential element for modern industrial societies. Its principal use is in steelmaking, where it serves as a purifying agent in iron-ore refining and as an alloy that converts iron into steel. Although the amount of manganese consumed to make a ton of steel is small, ranging from 6 to 9 kilograms, it is an irreplaceable component in the production of this fundamental...
Authors
William Cannon, Bryn Kimball, Lisa Corathers
Cobalt Cobalt
Cobalt is a silvery gray metal that has diverse uses based on certain key properties, including ferromagnetism, hardness and wear-resistance when alloyed with other metals, low thermal and electrical conductivity, high melting point, multiple valences, and production of intense blue colors when combined with silica. Cobalt is used mostly in cathodes in rechargeable batteries and in...
Authors
John Slack, Bryn Kimball, Kim Shedd
Beryllium Beryllium
Beryllium is a mineral commodity that is used in a variety of industries to make products that are essential for the smooth functioning of a modern society. Two minerals, bertrandite (which is supplied domestically) and beryl (which is currently supplied solely by imports), are necessary to ensure a stable supply of high-purity beryllium metal, alloys, and metal-matrix composites and...
Authors
Nora Foley, Brian W. Jaskula, Nadine M. Piatak, Ruth Schulte
Graphite Graphite
Graphite is a form of pure carbon that normally occurs as black crystal flakes and masses. It has important properties, such as chemical inertness, thermal stability, high electrical conductivity, and lubricity (slipperiness) that make it suitable for many industrial applications, including electronics, lubricants, metallurgy, and steelmaking. For some of these uses, no suitable...
Authors
Gilpin Robinson, Jane Hammarstrom, Donald Olson
Tellurium Tellurium
Tellurium (Te) is a very rare element that averages only 3 parts per billion in Earth’s upper crust. It shows a close association with gold and may be present in orebodies of most gold deposit types at levels of tens to hundreds of parts per million. In large-tonnage mineral deposits, such as porphyry copper and seafloor volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, sulfide minerals may contain...
Authors
Richard Goldfarb, Byron Berger, Micheal George, Robert R. Seal,