Basic iron ore

mineralogy
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI 49931

What is iron?
Fe is the 4th most abundant element in Earths
crust (~ 5 %)
Economical concentrations (Fe-ores) contain 25
68 % iron
After beneficiation, Fe is extracted from ironbearing minerals (containing 35 72 % iron)
Used primarily for steelmaking (e.g. autos,
structures, appliances)

Waste
minerals

Fe-ore

Step 1:
Mine

Fe-minerals

Step 2:
Liberate/concentrate

Waste
minerals

Fe-minerals
Fe

Slag

Step 2:
Liberate/concentrate

Step 3:
Extract

What are major iron minerals?

Magnetite
Hematite
Goethite
Siderite

Magnetite: Fe3O4
Iron (II,III) oxide
72.36 wt% Fe
Dark gray to black in color
Sample: Utac MagnetiteSilicate Ore Sample E

Specific gravity 5.18

Strongly magnetic
(ferrimagnetic)
Oxidation reaction:
2Fe3O4 + O2 3Fe2O3

Sample: Magnetite
concentrate

Hematite: Fe2O3
Iron (III) oxide
69.94 wt% Fe
Steel gray to red in color
Specific gravity 5.24
Sample: Tilden MartiteChert Ore Sample
C

Weakly magnetic
(antiferromagnetic to weakly
ferromagnetic)

Oxidation reactions:
No significant reactions
Sample: Synthetic hematite

Goethite: FeO(OH)
Hydrous iron (III) oxide
62.85 wt% Fe
Commonly yellow or brown in
color
Sample: Tilden
Hematite-Goethite
Ore Sample B

Specific gravity 3.3-4.3

Nonmagnetic at low temp
(antiferromagnetic)

Dehydration reaction:
2FeOOH Fe2O3 + H2O
Sample: Goethite
concentrate

Siderite: FeCO3
Iron (II) carbonate
48.20 wt% Fe
Pale tan to gray to black in color
Specific gravity 3.8
Sample: Siderite
concentrate

Magnetic under external field

(paramagnetic)
Reactions in air:
2FeCO3 + O2 Fe2O3 + 2CO2

Sample: Siderite
concentrate

Economical concentrations of
iron minerals are iron ores

Economical concentrations of
iron minerals are iron ores
Iron ore
iron-bearing material that can be economically used
at a particular place and time under then-current cost
and market-price conditions

Banded iron-formations (BIF)

Predominant source of world iron ore
also called taconites, itabirites, jaspilites, banded
hematite-quartz, etc. around the world
Important deposits:
Labrador, Canada; Lake Superior District, USA; Krivoi Rog,
Ukraine; Hamersley group, Australia; Iron Quadrangle, Brazil;

Iron Ores

Banded Iron Formation structure:

Alternating layers of iron rich minerals (magnetite,
hematite, with Fe-silicates and Fe-carbonates, etc.)
and fine grained quartz, or chert
Chert
Iron minerals

Macro-level banding

Sample: Banded Hematite-Quartz Iron Ore from India

and micro-level.

Iron Ores

BIF structure
Layers are generally 0.5
3 cm thick
Minerals present give
ores their distinctive
features

Tilden HematiteGoethite Ore

Sample B

Tilden Carbonate
Ore Sample A

Sample B: goethite gives

ochre color
Sample C: red bands from
Jasper layers

Utac Magnetite-Silicate Ore

Sample E

Tilden Martite-Chert
Ore Sample C

As mineral processors, our goal

is to beneficiate iron ores
What can mineralogy teach us?

Mineralogy Applications
Mineral identification
Mineral properties help identify the best
concentration method
Specific gravity
Solubility
Magnetic properties

Minerals with deleterious elements

Phosphorus and sulfur unwanted in iron-making
operations

Mineralogy Applications
Mineral texture
Grain size and intergrowth structures
important for liberation
Grind size for pre-concentration
Optimum grind size

Porosity and surface texture

Particle breakage
Reagent use

Common tools in mineralogy

Optical microscopy
Electron microscopy
X-ray diffraction
X-ray fluorescence

Example mineral assemblages,

mainly from USA iron ores, using
optical microscopy

(a) Quebec Cartier (b) Groveland (c) Quebec Cartier (d) Tilden

Hematite
Hematite

Gangue
Magnetite relict

Hematite

Tilden Martite-Chert Ore Sample C

Large hematite grains occur as martite
Magnetite converted to hematite
Original magnetite relicts seen in
hematite grains
Hematite also observed in micro-platy form

Gangue

Hematite

Hematite

Magnetite relict

Banded Hematite-Quartz Iron Ore from

India
Large hematite grains occur as martite
Magnetite converted to hematite
Original magnetite relicts seen in
hematite grains
Hematite grains very porous

Magnetite

Magnetite
Gangue
Magnetite

Hematite

Sample: Tilden Carbonate Ore Sample

A
Magnetite rich bands in porous,
carbonate matrix
A small fraction of hematite is present
Appears whiter next to magnetite

Hematite

Magnetite

Magnetite

Magnetite

Sample: Tilden MagnetiteCarbonate Ore Sample D

Magnetite rich bands in carbonate
matrix
Small bands of hematite also
present

Magnetite

Magnetite

Gangue
Magnetite

Siderite

Sample: Utac Magnetite-Silicate

Ore Sample E
Large magnetite crystals in
silicate/carbonate matrix
Siderite present in matrix

Hematite
Goethite
Goethite

Gangue

Goethite

Sample: Tilden Hematite-Goethite Ore

Sample B
Goethite occurs as massive, porous and
botryoidal grains
Globular, grapelike structure
A large fraction of hematite is associated with
goethite as well-shaped euhedral grains