Interesting facts about potassium element12/30/2023 North Carolina, Virginia and California produced 89 percent of this feldspar. estimated feldspar production was 570,000 metric tons valued at about $36 million. For more information visit Feldspar production and consumption: Oil and petroleum imports data are preliminary numbers taken from the American Petroleum Institute’s Monthly Statistical Report. Oil & Petroleum Imports (millions of barrels per day) Prior to this, the industry was dependent on more costly hand-cobbing procedures, generally with a handheld hammer, involving the separation of feldspar from worthless or otherwise undesirable minerals.įor more information on feldspar and other mineral resources, visit. feldspar industry.Įconomic resources of feldspar greatly increased in 1940 with the development of successful froth flotation methods for the separation of feldspar. A small quantity of the mineral, reputedly obtained from Native Americans, is said to have been shipped to Europe in 1744 from somewhere in the mountainous part of what is now North Carolina, the same area that two centuries later would become the primary focus of the U.S. Examination of shards from a large number of prehistoric culture centers, widely distributed in both place and time, shows that native potters often depended on feldspar from feldspathic sands to provide the temper (increased hardening) for their clay pots. In 2010 in the U.S., some 70 percent of feldspar was used for glass.įeldspar mining in North America may have begun in pre-Colonial times. Feldspar also serves as a binder and filler in paints and in various abrasive applications. In glassmaking, the mineral’s alumina content enhances the workability of the product and improves product hardness, durability, thermal endurance and resistance to chemical corrosion. Fluxes melt in early stages of the ceramic firing process, forming a glassy matrix that bonds the other components of the system together. Feldspar’s alkali content lowers the melting temperature of the mixture, prompting faster melting and fuel savings. By some estimates, feldspar constitutes 60 percent of Earth’s crust.įeldspar, usually of the potassium or sodium type or mixtures of the two, is principally used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Feldspars are major components of most igneous rocks and constitute a large part of at least the outer layers of Earth and the moon. ![]() The particular mineral is named after its major base element: potassium feldspar, sodium feldspar or calcium feldspar. Credit: Both: ©Chmee2, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unportedįeldspar is the general name of members of a group of closely related anhydrous minerals distinguished by the presence of aluminum and silica in combination with varying proportions of one or more base elements, including potassium, sodium and calcium. Feldspar in granite on a beach in Portugal.
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