nickel mine
A mine extracting natural nickel-bearing deposits, including laterite deposits and ores containing pentlandite.
A nickel mine is a site for the extraction of natural deposits of nickel from the earth. Nickel is a silvery-white metal and a chemical element with atomic number 28. It is widely used in various types of alloys, including stainless steel, cast iron, and nickel-copper alloys. Major sources include laterite deposits and ores containing pentlandite, with rich deposits in the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada as well as the Norilsk deposit in Siberia.
Laterite describes a deposit or weathered material, while pentlandite is an ore mineral. Both supply nickel within this mining use.
The named Canadian and Siberian deposits are examples rather than geographic limits. Alloy manufacture using recovered nickel is a separate activity from its extraction.
Related definitions
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bauxite mine
A site where naturally occurring bauxite is extracted from the earth, mainly for aluminum production. -
chromium mine
A mine extracting natural chromium ore deposits, primarily the chromium-bearing mineral chromite. -
coal mine
A site where coal is systematically extracted from the earth through tunnels, open excavation, or blasting. -
copper mine
A mine extracting natural copper ore deposits, commonly containing copper-bearing minerals such as chalcopyrite. -
gold mine
A mine extracting natural gold deposits from the earth, including both open-pit and underground workings. -
iron mine
A mine extracting natural iron-bearing deposits, including ores such as magnetite and hematite. -
lead mine
A mine extracting natural lead-bearing deposits, either alone or together with metals such as zinc and silver. -
manganese mine
A mine extracting natural manganese ore deposits, commonly containing the mineral pyrolusite. -
phosphate mine
A site where naturally occurring phosphate minerals are extracted from the earth. -
platinum mine
A mine extracting natural platinum-bearing deposits, including recovery alongside nickel or copper. -
salt mine
A mine extracting naturally occurring halite, or rock salt, from deposits within the earth. -
silver mine
A mine extracting natural silver-bearing deposits, often together with ores of other metals. -
tin mine
A mine extracting natural tin ore deposits, principally cassiterite, for recovery of tin. -
titanium mine
A mine extracting natural titanium ore deposits, especially minerals such as rutile and ilmenite. -
uranium mine
A mine extracting uranium from natural deposits for subsequent use, commonly as fuel for nuclear power. -
zinc mine
A mine extracting natural zinc ore deposits, commonly containing the mineral sphalerite.