Mineral Many sulfide minerals are economically important as metal ores; examples include sphalerite (ZnS), an ore of zinc, galena (PbS), an ore of lead, cinnabar (HgS), an ore of mercury, and molybdenite (MoS, an ore of molybdenum. Pyrite (FeS), is the most commonly occurring sulfide, and can be found in most geological environments. It is not, however, an ore of iron, but can be instead oxidized to produce sulfuric acid. Related to the sulfides are the rare sulfosalts, in which a metallic element is bonded to sulfur and a semimetal such as antimony, arsenic, or bismuth. Like the sulfides, sulfosalts are
Group 11 element silver-plated copper wiring are found in some special applications. Copper occurs in its native form in Chile, China, Mexico, Russia and the USA. Various natural ores of copper are: copper pyrites (CuFeS), cuprite or ruby copper (CuO), copper glance (CuS), malachite, (Cu(OH)CuCO), and azurite (Cu(OH)2CuCO). Copper pyrite is the principal ore, and yields nearly 76% of the world production of copper. Silver is found in native form, as an alloy with gold (electrum), and in ores containing sulfur, arsenic, antimony or chlorine. Ores include argentite (AgS), chlorargyrite (AgCl) which includes horn silver, and pyrargyrite (AgSbS). Silver is extracted using the