Dolomite

Dolomite as a mineral has very few uses. However,
dolostone has an enormous number of uses because it occurs in deposits that are
large enough to mine.

The most common use for dolostone is in the
construction industry. It is crushed and sized for use as a road base material,
an aggregate in concrete and asphalt, railroad ballast, rip-rap, or fill. It is
also calcined in the production of cement and cut into blocks of specific size
known as “dimension stone.”

Dolomite’s reaction with acid also makes it
useful. It is used for acid neutralization in the chemical industry, in stream
restoration projects, and as a soil conditioner.

Dolomite is used as a source of magnesia (MgO), a
feed additive for livestock, a sintering agent and flux in metal processing,
and as an ingredient in the production of glass, bricks, and ceramics.

Dolomite serves as the host rock for many lead,
zinc, and copper deposits. These deposits form when hot, acidic hydrothermal
solutions move upward from depth through a fracture system that encounters a
dolomitic rock unit. These solutions react with the dolomite, which causes a
drop in pH that triggers the precipitation of metals from solution.