OverviewSourcesMine tailingsExtractionProduction and consumptionAbundance by countrySmeltingSee also
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the form ofite Fe 3O 4, 72.4 Fe, hematite Fe 2O 3, 69.9 Fe, goethite FeOOH, 62.9 Fe, limonite FeOOH·nH2O, 55 Fe or siderite FeCO3, 48.2 Fe.
Ores containing very high quantities of hematite orite greater than about 60 iron are known
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