ABSTRACT
The group of non-metals, which is widespread amongst the variety of minerals, is of great economic significance. Non-metals are minerals which, as a rule, do not serve as a raw material for the extraction of metal. The division of solid minerals into ore and non-metallic minerals is quite conditional. Non-metallic minerals are used in the industry to extract perfect minerals (piezo-optic, abrasive, precious), mineral phases of a certain chemical composition (mining chemical raw material), or are used in total as a rock or aggregate. These deposits are characterized by various conditions of formation, and variety of composition. The industry currently processes new types of raw materials that were not considered useful in the past. Large-scale utilization of non-metallic minerals in industry is the reason for the comprehensive increase in their extraction and the sharp rise of their cost. Intensive work is being carried out in Russia and abroad, prospecting for and exploring non-metals. Considerable changes have occurred in the structure of their cost and extraction over the last 25-40 years. For example, building stone (dimension, monumental, crushed stone) is the most expensive non-metallic mineral in the USA (going by cost of raw material), while the raw material for cement is second, and sand, gravel and lime are third [19, 93]. A relative rise is observed in the cost of the extracted chemical raw material. The extraction of natural soda, vermiculite and perlite is increasing.
