Editing Iron ore (section)

{{Short description|Ore rich in iron or the element Fe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
[[File:HematitaEZ.jpg|thumb|[[Hematite]], the main iron ore found in [[Brazil]]ian mines]]
[[File:LightningVolt Iron Ore Pellets.jpg|thumb|Stockpiles of iron ore pellets like this one are used in [[steel]] production.]]
[[File:Iron Ore Docks, Toledo, Ohio - DPLA - 165fedc210b0851a390b4d490563cb43 (page 1) (cropped).jpg|thumb|An illustration of iron ore being unloaded at docks in [[Toledo, Ohio]]]]
'''Iron ores'''<ref>Ramanaidou and Wells, 2014</ref> are [[rock (geology)|rocks]] and [[mineral]]s from which [[metal]]lic [[iron]] can be economically extracted. The [[ore]]s are usually rich in [[iron oxide]]s and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the form of [[magnetite]] ({{Chem|Fe|3|O|4}}, 72.4% Fe), [[hematite]] ({{Chem|Fe|2|O|3}}, 69.9% Fe), [[goethite]] ({{Chem|Fe|O|(OH)}}, 62.9% Fe), [[limonite]] ({{Chem|Fe|O|(OH)|·n(H<sub>2</sub>O)}}, 55% Fe), or [[siderite]] ({{Chem|Fe|C|O<sub>3</sub>}}, 48.2% Fe).

Ores containing very high quantities of hematite or magnetite (typically greater than about 60% iron) are known as natural ore or [direct shipping ore], and can be fed directly into iron-making [[blast furnace]]s. Iron ore is the [[raw material]] used to make [[pig iron]], which is one of the main raw materials to make [[steel]] — 98% of the mined iron ore is used to make steel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photoiron.html |title=Iron Ore – Hematite, Magnetite & Taconite |work=Mineral Information Institute |access-date=7 April 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060417160321/http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photoiron.html |archive-date= April 17, 2006 }}</ref> In 2011 the ''[[Financial Times]]'' quoted Christopher LaFemina, mining analyst at Barclays Capital, saying that iron ore is "more integral to the [[global economy]] than any other commodity, except perhaps [[Petroleum|oil]]".<ref name="Iron ore pricing"/>