Ireland's Most Famous Minerals

Hello again, to continue and make sure we know what minerals are, how they are found, etc., Mrs.M decided to assigned us an interesting blog post; find the most mined minerals in a country and answer a few questions about them! If you are interested in the country I chose, Ireland, then this is the right blog for you!

The Mineral;

Zinc's Largest Mine

1. Zinc

Information:
 

1. Zinc
• How is it mined?

Zinc Mineral

• Zinc ore is mined using underground and surface mining. Ireland now ranks 7th largest producer of Zinc concentrates in the world.
• After the ore is mined, they do something called flash smelting where they heat up the ore until it makes zinc oxide.

• What are the mining companies?
• Ireland currently has three underground zinc-lead mines
• The following are both surface and underground mines;
• Ballinalack
• Bula
• Galmoy
• Lisheen
• Tara
• Where do the materials go-are they exported to other countries to factories?  
• Zinc as well as lead is the main export of Ireland.
• The majority of Tara's (the mine) production, however, is sold to third parties in Europe.
• The mine supplies part of its zinc to Kokkola, Finland and Odda.
• What is it used for?



Zinc Penny

• Zinc’s typical lifespan can exceed 100 years, which is exceptional for a roofing material.
• Zinc is used world-wide:
• In paints
• For coating steel
• In automotive parts
• Electrical fuses
• Batteries
• Roof gutters
• Pennies
• Rubber
• Deodorant
• Pennies are made of zinc covered with copper. 
• Zinc is used to cover metal that will rust.
• Zinc is needed by animals and humans to stay healthy
• More than 90% of zinc used in the building industry is recycled.
• Is it valuable?
• No, Zinc is not very valuable.
• Does your country depend on these minerals being mined?
• Exports form a big source of Ireland's economy. Zinc is one of the main exports so Ireland kind of does depend on it being sold from them around the world.

Conclusion –

Have you ever wondered, what is the main mineral of my home country? Probably not, but I was assigned by my awesome teacher a blog post on minerals in my home country – Ireland – and I chose….zinc! Zinc is mined in a few places such as; Ballinalack, Bula, Galmoy, Lisheen, and Tara. Zinc is mined using both underground and surface [open-pit] mining. Zinc is not a very valuable mineral, but if you sell a lot of it you will get a lot of money. To show this, Ireland has made zinc one of its main exports and the country depends a bit on it to get enough money. Ireland is the top producer of zinc in the European Union, and the seventh largest producer of it in the world! Also, one third of the mine Tara’s production I sold globally. Finally, zinc can be used in paints, ‘copper’ pennies, rubber, and since it can last for more than 100 years it is perfect for house roofing.