The role and importance of chemical elements clarks in the practical expanded reproduction of mineral resources

Abstract

Mankind will always need metallic minerals. Despite of reduction of specific consumption, of increase both volumes of their reuse, and increase in strength qualities and wear resistance, of addition to metal alloys of synthetic materials, and also of transition to artificial atomic assembly of the necessary chemical elements from natural rocks and their constituent minerals and synthesis of metals from ocean water, offshore placers and bottom deposits in the future, extraction of ore from massif of earth crust will be the basic source of supply of demanded minerals. Based on these immutable postulates, we have made a comprehensive analysis of the existing geochemical patterns, the accumulation of mineral matter suitable for use as minerals. The origin of the planets of the Solar system with the condensation of the gas-dust cloud, which, in turn, as a result of adiabatic compression turned into planets of the Earth type and the asteroid belt with meteorites, was the reason for the same distribution of chemical elements in the Sun, in meteorites and in the Earth crust. We considered the anthropogenic-technical possibilities of mankind on the maximum depth of development of the continental part of the Earth's crust, the minimum industrial content (which will change over time towards reduction), the amount of minerals according to the clark in that part of the continental Earth's crust which is possible for industrial use with the objective restrictions, we determined the reserves of the demanded chemical elements. Calculations show their sufficiency for many years to come, but it will be the reserves in the deposits of a new type, created by objective geochemical regularities acting in nature, but not considered at present. Particular attention should be paid to the analytical generalization of mineral content at the micro- and nanoscale, which are currently not defined, being unaccounted reserves within well above the clark content at the minimum industrial level. The use of clarks and other geochemical patterns in the Earth's crust will require the creation of new analytical capabilities in exploration, new technological solutions for the extraction and processing of minerals from deposits of a new type, which are briefly described in the paper and are the subject of a more detailed and evidence-based description in the development of this article.