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Post by kcatthedog on Oct 27, 2020 14:27:21 GMT -6
Announced in northern Canada, also produced under much safer work and extraction rules (Conflict Minerals).
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Post by svart on Oct 28, 2020 7:28:13 GMT -6
Tantalum has a bad habit of being amalgamated with other heavy metals, such as niobium, cadmium, etc.
The mining is the same as any other mineral, you dig it up.
It's the separation process that's hard. You need to use large amounts of acids that are extremely toxic, or you need large amounts of electricity, but either way you're left with large amounts of toxic heavy metals which aren't used in large enough amounts for it to be efficient to continue to purify them.
That's why china has huge wastelands poisoned by dumping of heavy metal tailings.
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Post by kcatthedog on Oct 28, 2020 13:30:18 GMT -6
The news coverage talked about the way companies fudge by denying any knowledge of not buying the right materials. I understood the Cdn product is made under the correct processes ?
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Post by Ward on Oct 28, 2020 14:48:08 GMT -6
Someone needs to explain to the whole class why this is so important to all of us!
(hints for the class: Capacitors, resisters, nanometer connections . . . ok time for an expert to take over)
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Post by Quint on Oct 28, 2020 15:00:53 GMT -6
The news coverage talked about the way companies fudge by denying any knowledge of not buying the right materials. I understood the Cdn product is made under the correct processes ? Having, once upon a time, directly worked in the environmental regulation of mining, I can tell you first hand that "correct processes" can mean quite different things to different people. However, when certain elected officials regularly receive campaign contributions from those mining companies which they are supposed to regulate, the definition of "correct processes" magically comes to be understood in exactly the same way by both the regulated and regulators. Funny how that works. I've seen the effects of this first hand, and it ain't pretty. Vast swaths of land completely ruined. Local water supplies poisoned. Water so acidic that it will eat through concrete. I'm just saying, don't ever buy land that was formerly mined and don't assume that ANYTHING is being done "correctly" when it comes to mining. There's a good chance it isn't. I'm not so naive to think that we don't have to mine many of the resources we need, but there IS a correct way to do it. It's just often not adhered to. |
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Post by EmRR on Oct 28, 2020 15:01:24 GMT -6
I believe because it's a fairly rare material with only 1-2 previously known harvestable sources, in repressive exploited areas.
hmm, Australia leads world production.
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Post by Quint on Oct 28, 2020 15:14:28 GMT -6
I believe because it's a fairly rare material with only 1-2 previously known harvestable sources, in repressive exploited areas. These types of metals and minerals often are found in exploited areas, if for no other reason than that the more easily available sources have already been used up, often leaving what remains in the hands of people who have no qualms about repressive tactics. Wait until Morocco essentially controls the world's food supply. That will be interesting. www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/06/phosphate-fertiliser-crisis-threatens-world-food-supply |
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