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Tantalum
A metal used in electronics, found in minerals like coltan, ideal for capacitors due to heat resistance and electrical conductivity.
Columbite-tantalite (coltan)
A mineral ore that contains tantalum, often mined under conditions that raise ethical concerns due to conflict minerals.
Mining
The systematic removal of rock, soil, or other material to extract minerals of economic interest.
Ore
A mineral or grouping of minerals from which we extract metals.
Smelting
A process that involves heating ore beyond its melting point to extract metals.
Water-intensive
Describes processes that require a substantial amount of water, commonly used in metal processing.
Tailings
The leftover portions of ore after the extraction of valuable minerals.
Strip mining
A mining method that removes surface layers of soil and rock to access shallow resources.
Subsurface mining
A mining method conducted underground to access concentrated mineral deposits.
Open pit mining
A mining technique used to extract resources spread widely throughout a rock formation by digging a large hole.
Mountaintop removal
A mining method that blasts away the tops of mountains to access resources, significantly altering the landscape.
Placer mining
A method of mining that uses running water to sift through material in riverbed deposits.
Solution mining
A mining technique that involves dissolving underground resources and extracting the resulting solution.
Restoration
Efforts to return mining sites to their pre-mining condition following the conclusion of mining operations.
1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
A law that requires mining companies to restore or reclaim surface-mined sites.
General Mining Act of 1872
A law that allows US citizens to stake claims on federally owned land for mining minerals.
Recycling
The process of recovering and reusing materials, including metals from electronic waste, to make mineral use more sustainable.
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