A Checklist Of The 14 Core Minerals Mined In Sri Lanka

1
APATITE
A rock phosphate, Apatite is commercially used as a fertilizer and is mined in Sri Lanka at Eppawala, near Anuradhapura.

2
CALCITE
Calcite is used in producing lime, fertilizer, paint, PVC, and latex and is mined largely around Rathnapura, with smaller mines existing in Digana, Polonnaruwa, and Badulla.

3
CLAY
Clay deposits are found throughout Sri Lanka and mined especially in Nattandiya, Dediyawela, Boralasgamuwa, and Meetiyagoda. It is used widely in its ceramics industries, so much so that it is increasingly becoming a scarce resource. Kaolin - or China clay has been mined almost to exhaustion in Sri Lanka, especially as Boralesgamuwa. The main component in porcelain, it is also used in medicine, cosmetics, and toothpaste.

4
DOLOMITE
An industrial mineral found in Sri Lanka, dolomite is widely mined and used in the island’s ceramic, glass, paint, rubber, and fertilizer industries and in local lime manufacturing plants. It is scattered across the island in such areas as Anuradhapura, Habarana, Matale, Kandy, Ratnapura, Balangoda, Badulla, Ambilipitiya, and Hambantota. Calcite, a related mineral, is often found in the same deposits, and is used in construction.

5
FELDSPAR
A silicate mineral, feldspar is used in many industries including glass and ceramics, and as fillers in paints, plastics, and rubber. Deposits of it, and accompanying mines, occur in many areas of Sri Lanka - including Rattota, Namaloya, Koslanda, and Balangoda.

6
GARNET SAND
A mineral sand increasingly in demand, garnet sand is used widely across many industries as an abrasive. Although commercially relevant deposits of it exist in such areas in the south as Dondra and Hambantota, it remains little exploited in Sri Lanka.

7
GRAPHITE
Graphite, also known as Plumbago, has long been a major mineral export for Sri Lanka, thanks largely to its exceptional purity. It is a key ingredient in lubricants, and lithium batteries and with the explosion of electric cars and electronics has seen demand growing exponentially. It is, of course, also used in pencils - as Sarvesh Murthi observed: “It is always better to write your feeling in GRAPHITE than in INK, as it’s much easier to erase them and start fresh.”

8
ILMENITE
Ilmenite, extracted from ‘black gold’ mineral sand is a major industrial mineral produced in Sri Lanka for export. Its deposits also contain relevant amounts of Rutile and Zircon – all ingredients used to make Titanium Dioxide, a raw material required for the productions of paints, plastic, and paper industries; and titanium metal. It is extracted from beach sand mined at Pulmoddai.

9
KAOLIN
Used to make ceramics and sanitary ware, paint, cosmetics and in paper, rubber, and fibreglass production,
kaolin deposits, are found around Meetiyagoda but so little is actually mined that most Sri Lankan manufacturing companies have to import the mineral.

10
MICA
Mica mineral deposits are mined in such areas as Matale, Badulla, Haldummulla, and Balangoda. Its ability to withstand high temperatures makes it a favourite raw material in electrical and electronic industries; as a lubricant; and for heat and electrical insulating purposes.

11
RARE EARTH ELEMENTS
The group of 15 rare earth elements known in the periodic table as the Lanthanide series – have become ever more in demand as they are used in high technology devices: smart phones, digital cameras, computer hard disks, LED lights, and flat screen televisions. Of the very few found in Sri Lanka, Thorianite and Thorite are also increasingly in demand to provide environmentally safe, lasting energy. Deposits exist in Bambarabotuwa, Balangoda; Monazite in Matara, Nuwara Eliya, and Balangoda.

12
SALT
Despite a history going back to the earliest periods of recorded time, and a beaches that excel in the hot, dry climate perfect for large-scale solar evaporation, the island’s salt industry is, at best, struggling in almost all measurable areas; and the country still has to import over 50% of its salt from abroad. Focused largely around Puttalam, Hambantota, and Manar, the industry remains reliant on the old methods of manually harvested salt from dried pans into which seawater is driven and left to evaporate. Automation and all its attendant efficiencies have yet to make much impact on production or profits.

13
SILICA SAND
Silica sand is found in Sri Lanka’s rivers and – in accumulations – on its beaches and in its shallow seas. It is used in glass, ceramics and in construction especially for concrete since it does not contain cause corrosion of any reinforced steel placed within the concrete. High purity deposits are mined in Marawila, Nattandiya, and Madampe, near Puttalam

14
VEIN QUARTZ
High purity vein quartz deposits are found in many areas of Sri Lanka, including Galaha, Rattota, Balangoda, Pelmadulla, Embilipitiya, and Ratnapura. It is a major ingredient in the manufacturing of computer chips and in the ceramic industry.