Minerals are the material and engineering basis of scientific and technological progress

Development of civilization is directly connected with the use of the Earth’s minerals. Even at the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages, it was understood that various things made of minerals could be used as tools after proper treatment. Since the mid-18th century, historical progress was influenced by scientific and technological advancements. In the 20th century, high technologies became implemented, based on various composites of ferrous, nonferrous, noble, rare and rare earth metals, and on various sources of energy. Gradually, the mineral–industrial megacomplex formed as a material and engineering basis of the scientific and technological progress. A mineral deposit as an initial natural object is the predominant component being later on transformed into the mineral–industrial megacomplex. Sectorial complexes operate starting from exploitation of a deposit and finishing with the delivery of an end product to the users of the industry. One of the goals of the science and technology progress is to establish connection between the mineral and industrial sectors taken as the existing branch-wise industrial clusters. In the present historical circumstances, this is mining and processing of natural minerals and manmade materials. The article describes Kazakhstan’s industrial complex comprised of the sectors of geological exploration, hydrogeology, oil-and-gas, metallurgy, chemistry, fuel, nonmetals and construction in mining. The lead role of minerals in evolution of science, technology and civilization is shown. The value of a mineral deposit as a source of mineral raw material is substantiated. The definition and meaning of a mineral–industrial megacomplex are given. It is demonstrated that new technologies and equipment, adapted to natural and process properties of raw materials at a specific deposit, can ensure high level of extraction of rare and rare earth metals from this object.

Rakishev B. R. Minerals are the material and engineering basis of scientific and technological progress. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(1):168-180. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_1_0_168.

The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Grant No. АР19676591 Development of Innovation Technologies for Full Extraction of Isolated Standard-Quality Ores from Structurally Complex Blocks, and by the Satbayev Kazakh National Research Technical University.

B.R. Rakishev, academician of NAS RK, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, K.I. Satpaev Kazakh National Research Technical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan, e-mail: b.rakishev@satbayev.university, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5445-070X.

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