Iron ore inspection services

Iron ore is a principal raw material for blast-furnace ironmaking.

What is iron ore?

The classification below uses an iron content of 17% as the boundary: iron-rich material at or above 17% Fe is described as iron ore, and material below that level as mineral raw material. This is the classification used in this article; it is not presented as a universal legal or commercial threshold.

Common iron-bearing minerals include hematite (Fe₂O₃), magnetite (Fe₃O₄), goethite (FeOOH), lepidocrocite (FeO(OH)), siderite (FeCO₃) and limonite (a mixture of iron hydroxides that may contain SiO₂ and other minerals).

Chemical formula references: magnetite; siderite (iron(II) carbonate).

Chemical composition

Iron content is a key characteristic of iron ore. Higher iron content generally reduces the quantity of ore required for ironmaking. Illustrative quantities are about 1.47 tonnes of ore containing 68% Fe, or 4 tonnes of ore containing 25% Fe, per tonne of pig iron. These are simplified examples; actual consumption depends on the full burden composition, recovery and operating conditions. The article classifies run-of-mine ore containing over 60% Fe as rich, 50–60% as medium-grade, and below 50% as low-grade.

Inspection services

• Inspect container condition before loading
• Inspect vessel hold condition before loading
• Supervise container stuffing
• Determine cargo weight by container weighing or vessel draught survey.
• Check ore quality through sampling and sample analysis