Iron ore

Iron ores are minerals from which metallic iron can be extracted. The iron itself is usually found in the form of magnetite (Fe3O4) or hematite (Fe2O3), both of which are iron oxides. However, as much of the pure magnetite and hematite ore has already been mined, modern iron mines rely on aggregate ores such as taconite, which must be processed to remove non-iron-bearing components prior to smelting. Iron mines therefore produce tremendous amounts of waste. In the Minnesota mines most of the waste material known as tailings is stored in large holding basins. These large tailings basins may cause environmental problems.

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Iron ore is common worldwide, but commercial mining operations are dominated by eight countries: Australia, Brazil, China, India, Russia, Ukraine, South Africa and the United States. World production averages one billion metric tons of raw ore annually. The world's largest producer of iron ore is the Brazilian mining corporation CVRD.

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Most iron ore is used in the production of steel.

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Minerals: REDIRECT Mineral...

Iron: Iron is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Fe (L.: Ferrum) and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 metal. Iron is notable for being the final element produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, and thus the heaviest element which does not require a supernova or simil...

Magnetite: Magnetite is a ferromagnetic mineral form of iron(II,III) oxide, with chemical formula mathrm{Fe}_3mathrm{O}_4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group....

Iron ore related Images and Photos (experimental)

Iron Man	Iron Duke	Iron Gate	Iron Shiek
Iron Horse	Iron Man 2	Iron Maiden	Iron Monkey
Iron Flamingo	Iron Triangle, The	Iron Mistress (DVD)	Iron Man UNO