Short Essay on Pyrite in India
Pyrite is the sulphide of iron; it is the chief source of sulphur in India but because of the high proportion of sulphur in it, is injurious to iron. Sulphur has its various uses, e.g.
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In India, 90% of it is used for making sulphuric acid which in turn is utilized in fertilizers, chemicals, rayon, steel, petroleum and fungicides etc.
Distribution and Production:
The mineral has a wide occurrence in India being found in many lode formation ranging from the oldest crystalline rocks to the younger sediments. The main deposits are found in the lower son valley at Amjor, Kasisiyakoh, and Kurriari in Bihar, in Chitradurga and Uttar Kannada districts of Karnataka and the pyritous coal and shale of Assam Coalfields.
Pyrite associated with pyrrhotite occurs at Polur in North Arcot district and iron pyrite containing 50% of sulphur and frequently associated with gold is found in the Pandalur Devala-Nadghani regions of the Nilgiris districts of Tamil Nadu several lenticular seems of pyrite are found in the upper reaches of Ashmi River in Himachal Pradesh.
Large deposits containing 22% of sulphur have been found in Sikar districts of Rajasthan and small dissemination have been known to occur in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya.
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Since India has no indigenous production of sulphur and the production from pyrites is inadequate, to meet the requirements, the country has to import large quantities of this mineral every year. Most of the imports come from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE and the USA.