Raw Materials & Industrial Processes: A Comprehensive Overview
Vocabulary of Raw Materials and Industrial Processes
Raw Materials
Raw materials are the resources used to produce finished or semi-finished products. They can be of organic origin (derived from livestock farming) or mineral origin (extracted from the earth).
Mineral Resources
Mineral resources are all known or undiscovered mineral deposits that can be exploited with current techniques or potentially in the future.
Mineral Reserves
Mineral reserves are known resources that can be exploited with current techniques.
Other Important Terms
- Filon: A metalliferous or stony mass filling a rock fissure.
- Mena: Ores, mainly iron, extracted from the earth before cleaning.
- Bargain: Matter accompanying minerals that is separated as waste.
- Industrial Rock: Homogeneous rocks (clay, sandstone, limestone, granite) used in construction.
Energy Sources
Energy sources provide useful energy for various applications.
Elementary Energy
Elementary energy sources are found in nature but cannot be used directly without transformation.
High Energy
High energy is derived from the transformation of primary energy sources into electricity, heat, etc.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources are inexhaustible and allow unlimited use (e.g., water, sun).
Types of Energy Sources
- Coal: A black, layered rock fuel formed from decomposed plant debris over millions of years.
- Oil: A compound of hydrocarbons formed from the decomposition of plant and animal life over millions of years.
- Natural Gas: A gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons found in underground deposits, often associated with petroleum. Advantages: high calorific value and less polluting.
- Nuclear Fission Energy: Energy released from the division of heavy uranium atoms.
- Hydraulic Energy: Energy from water stored in dams or lakes used to drive turbines and generate electricity.
- Solar Energy: Uses heat and sunlight for thermal and photovoltaic applications.
- Wind Energy: Uses wind power to generate mechanical or electrical energy.
- Biomass: Energy obtained from agricultural, livestock, and forest waste products.
- Geothermal Energy: Uses steam or hot water from underground for heating or electricity generation.
Industrial Terms
- Hydrocarbon: A compound of carbon and hydrogen.
- OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
- Refinery: A factory for refining products like petroleum.
- Naphtha: A light fraction of petroleum used in petrochemistry and as a solvent.
- PEN: National Energy Plan.
- Base Industries: Transform raw materials into intermediate products.
- Equipment Industries: Transform semi-finished products into goods used by other industries.
- Consumer Industries: Manufacture goods for direct use.
- Holding Company: Controls other companies through stock ownership.
- Protectionist: Economic policy that restricts imports.
- Steel Industry: Extracts and processes iron.
- INI: National Institute of Industry.
- Economies of Scale: Large-scale production at low prices.
- External Economies: Advantages from the business environment (facilities, supplies, transportation).
- Agglomeration Economies: Concentration of related industries in one location.
- Industrial Reconversion: Restructuring of industries in crisis.
- ZUR: Urgent Reindustrialization Zones.
- Information Technology: Based on microelectronics.
- R&D: Research and development of new knowledge, materials, and processes.
- Outsourcing: Using external resources for services.
- Subcontracting: Hiring another company for specific tasks.
- SEPI: State-owned industrial holding company.
- Globalization: Increasing global interconnectedness of markets and businesses.