What is Iron Ore?

Approximately 5% of the Earth’s crust is composed of iron ore or Iron Ore. This rock contains veins of iron metal (Fe), which make up about 20% of each piece of iron ore. 98% of the iron ore extracted worldwide is used for steel production. This not only enhances the strength and durability of the metal but also creates a stainless, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant alloy containing at least 50% of the element. Iron ore is one of the most important raw materials in the steel industry, and Gereft Company, as one of the leading companies in this field, plays a significant role in meeting domestic and international needs. Below, you can learn about the extraction process and applications of iron ore.

Iron Ore and Its Applications

Iron ore is one of the most common and widely used types of mineral rocks, with more than 20% of it composed of iron. After extraction and processing, it is used as a raw material for steel production in Iranian steel plants. When extracted, the ore is impure and has a low grade, requiring purification. Therefore, it undergoes processing and is concentrated in several stages to increase its iron content.

Over 98% of the world’s iron ore is used for steel production. As a result, it is utilized in major industries such as automotive, construction, bridge and railway construction, household appliances, and more. Other applications of iron ore include coal washing, concrete and cement production, and pigment manufacturing.

How is Iron Ore Extracted?

In Iran, iron is typically extracted using the open-cut system, which is not very complex. This is because iron ore deposits are not far from the Earth’s surface and are usually found at depths of a few meters. However, underground mining methods can also be used. Generally, iron ore extraction is carried out in the following four stages:

1. Drilling
   Initially, several holes are drilled into the ground using drilling equipment. The holes must be drilled with a specific pattern and depth and filled with explosives. This prepares the site for the next stage: blasting.

2. Blasting
   The blasting stage is conducted to break up the rocks and access the iron ore deposits. Before blasting, the area must be cleared, and all personnel must be directed to a safe location. The most common explosives used in iron ore extraction are emulsions and mixtures of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.

3. Loading
   To load the crushed rocks from the previous stage, shovels and trucks are used. Shovels collect the rocks from the ground and transfer them into trucks.

4. Transportation
   The iron ore must be transported to processing plants after loading. Dump trucks or trucks with a capacity of 100 tons are typically used for transportation.

Iron Ore Processing Methods

Immediately after extraction, the rocks are crushed and prepared for processing through stages such as screening, grinding, sieving, and washing before entering the furnace. Before any processing, the iron must be purified and separated from the rocks. But what are iron ore lumps? Lumps are large pieces of iron ore, with most other types being used in steelmaking. These lumps are crushed into pieces with dimensions of 342 microns during the crushing stage.

The iron ore pieces are then ground again and separated from the rocks using gravity separation and magnetic separation methods. Through flotation and magnetic separators, the iron content is increased to over 60-65%. This prepares the ore for entry into the furnace. After being baked in the furnace, the pieces are converted into concentrated iron and pellets, which are then sent to smelting plants to be transformed into pure iron.