Iron ore inspection services

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

What is iron ore?

The classification described in the original article 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. The original article gives illustrative quantities of 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