Indonesian Minerals – 03 Non Metallic Mineral

In a broad sense, non-metallic minerals are all minerals and rocks other than metallic minerals and coal that can be mined and used directly without any process beforehand. They are commonly known as industrial minerals or more specifically as industrial minerals and rocks. With the present development in manufacture industries, this definition is no longer applied, as it requires raw materials of specific non­ metallic minerals that resulted from long and complex processes. It is also quite difficult to set definitive limitations into non-metallic minerals classification. For example, chromites, zircon, bauxite, manganese, and rare earth minerals are metallic minerals, however, when they have been processed and used directly as manufacture industries raw materials, they are classified as industrial minerals. Non-metallic minerals classification is defined in section 2, article 2, point c and d of Government Decree No. 23/2010 concerning The Execution of Mineral and Coal Mining. Non-metallic minerals mining is regulated in section 34, article 2, Act no. 4/2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining: Non-metallic and Rocks Mining.

Geologically, Indonesia has abundant non-metallic minerals resources. Mountainous genesis, magma activity in volcanoes, and sedimentation processes that continues in long duration of time are always followed with geological evolution that resulting in minerals formation. There are various indications of such events in various places in Indonesia.

Non-metallic minerals are significant raw materials in manufacture and construction industries. They are mostly used to enhance quality or to yield specific end products. Unlike metallic minerals, non-metallic minerals cannot be recycled from their end products (except for glass)and there are no substitutes other than the minerals themselves.

Manufacture industries such as chemical;fertilizer; cement; pulp and paper; ceramic and porcelain; glass; basic metal and metal products; and vegetable oil industries use non-metallic minerals as raw materials. The development of manufacture and construction industries increases non­ metallic minerals demands however it is not followed by the development in non­ metallic minerals productions hence there is an increase in non-metallic minerals import. Non-metallic minerals mining has been established for a long time in Indonesia as people mine, for example clay, sand, rocks, and lime to be made into bricks, tiles, and other construction needs. Large scale non­ metallic minerals mining such as limestone, clay, and quartz mines are developed by cement factories that need them as raw materials. Industrial minerals mining has developed in term of the type of minerals being mined or the type of end products being produced. High technology mining and processes such as drilling, blasting, and purification are applied in non-metallic mining now days. High rate of non­ metallic import is caused by the high demand that cannot be fulfilled by national production. Some industrial minerals such as sulfur, phosphate, talc, and gypsum are major inhibitors. It is also caused by lack of purification application to produce specific minerals such as glazing quality feldspar or ultra fine kaolin.

Generally, it is estimated that non­metallic minerals mining in Indonesia will grow exponentially in the future. This estimation is based on the high domestic and regional potential in non­ metallic minerals market. Domestic economy growth of over 5% per year, the number of population in Indonesia and Asia-Pacific economy growth are very potential for non-metallic minerals market. Based on reserves potential and domestic or international market growth, there are several minerals that potentially have good prospect such as andesite, bentonite, clay, dolomite, diamond, feldspar, granite, kaolin, potassium-bearing rocks, limestone, marble, phosphate, quartz, trass, zeolite, and zircon.

There are 78 (seventy eight) non­ metallic minerals and rock according to Government Decree No, 23/2010 and 56 (fifty six) non-metallic minerals and rock in CMCGR databases. But only 16 (sixteen) selected commodities of non­ metallic minerals presented in this Mineral Yearbook based on their high demand and opportunities in Indonesia.

Since 2015, infrastructure development has become a national priority, so the availability of non-metallic minerals and rocks such as limestone, clay, sand becomes an important commodity as raw materials.

The value of mineral non-metallic and rocks are depend on distance of commodity occurrences from transportation infrastructure. Therefore, the construction of infrastructure already reach the remote areas of Indonesia, so the potency of non-metallic minerals and rocks that were previously uneconomic became economic.