Apex mine

The Apex Mine (also known as the Dixie Mine ) is a former mine in the US state of Utah . It is the only mine that has ever been operated for the extraction of the rare elements gallium and germanium .

history

The underground mine was opened in 1884 to extract copper , silver , lead and , to a lesser extent, zinc and gold . Until it was closed in 1962, 7,000 tons of copper, 400 tons of lead and 180,000 troy ounces (approx. 5.6 tons) of silver were mined.

After closing, it reopened in 1985. The aim was to extract the rare metals gallium and germanium, which are found in relatively high concentrations in the ores. Other metals such as copper or silver were only a by-product. However, since the demand for gallium and germanium was comparatively low and it can be extracted more cheaply as a by-product in aluminum or zinc production, the mine was closed again in 1987. A second attempt in 1990 also failed.

location

The mine is located in Washington County in southwest Utah, about nine kilometers north of the Arizona border . The city of St. George is located around 22 km to the east . The mine is located on the western slope of the Beaver Dam Mountains at 1656 m above sea level. The tunnel is about 250 m long and runs in a westerly direction.

geology

The mine is located in the limestone of the Beaver Dam Mountains. The main ore is goethite , but limonite , jarosite , goyazite , azurite , malachite , konichalcite , aurichalcite , rosasite , brochantite , cuprite , angelsite , covelline and manganese oxides were also found. Goethite contains roughly 0.5% germanium, gallium is mainly an accompanying element in jarosite (up to 0.7%), limonite partly contains both elements.

Individual evidence

^ Friedrich-Wilhelm Wellmer, Manfred Dalheimer, Markus Wagner: Economic Evaluations in Exploration. 2nd edition, Springer 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-73557-1 , pp. 83-84.

literature

LR Bernstein: Geology and mineralogy of the Apex germanium-gallium mine, Washington County, Utah . USGS Bulletin 1577, 1986.

Web links

Apex Mine in mindat.org (Engl.)

37.069444444444 -113.80361111111Coordinates: 37 ° 4 ′ 10 " N , 113 ° 48 ′ 13" W.

[1] Friedrich-Wilhelm Wellmer, Manfred Dalheimer, Markus Wagner: Economic Evaluations in Exploration. 2nd edition, Springer 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-73557-1 , pp. 83-84.