Planet Solid - Raw Resource

Iron and nickel are two widespread, easily recognized examples of base metals, or those metals that oxidize relatively easily. Their tremendous usefulness in numerous applications ensures that base metals are always in high demand. Thankfully, so is their abundance on most planetary surfaces.

The churning core of lava planets is rife with felsic magma, or silicate material that is infused with lighter elements, from which basic silicon and other atomic matter may be extracted. Silicon is abundant on many terrestrial planets, but the fastest and easiest way to obtain it, given advances in planetary mining processes, is from felsic magma.

In small quantities, heavy metals are vital to life, providing essential minerals for biological processes. In bulk, they are commonly found in most construction materials, forming the most basic components of computer electronics and reinforced structures.

Highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation, noble metals are somewhat rarer than base metals, yet they are just as sought after for their different electrical, material, and chemical attributes. When painstakingly refined and purified, some noble metal ores can produce "precious metals."

The orderly, compact nature of crystals makes them well suited for a staggering array of manufacturing processes, in which they are just as often the product of the factory as they are incorporated into many of the tools and machinery used therein.