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Geography: Iron Ore About, Composition, Chemical Features, Details, Usage of Iron ore
Iron ore: About, Details, Chemical Features, Physical Usage, Economical and Industrial importance
Iron ores are rocks and minerals that can be commercially mined for metallic iron. Iron oxides are abundant in the ores, which range in colour from dark grey to bright yellow to deep purple to rusty red. Magnetite, hematite, goethite, limonite, and siderite are the most common iron minerals.
Iron ore is the principal source of iron for the iron and steel industries around the world. It is thus necessary for the manufacturing of steel, which is necessary for the maintenance of a strong industrial basis. Almost all iron ore (98 percent) is utilised to make steel. There are over 50 countries that mine iron ore. The top seven generating countries account for around three-quarters of total global output. Iron ore exports are dominated by Australia and Brazil, with each country accounting for over one-third of total exports.
Usage of Ironed ore
Steel is the most common usage of iron ore (98 percent). The remaining 2% is utilised for a variety of other purposes, including:
- radioactive iron (iron 59)—for medicine and as a tracer element in biochemical and metallurgical research powdered iron—for specific types of steels, magnets, auto parts, and catalysts
- Paints, printing ink, plastics, cosmetics (e.g., eye shadow), artist colours, laundry blue, paper dyeing, fertiliser, baked enamel coatings on automobiles and appliances, and industrial finishes all use iron blue.
- Polishing compounds, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, magnetic inks, and ferrites for the electronics industry all use black iron oxide as a pigment
