Iron Ore Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Iron Ore - Dissertation Example However, most of the reserves that harbor such natural ores have now been depleted. Pig iron is made out of iron ore. This pig iron is one of the main raw materials used in the making of steel. Iron ore is believed to contribute more to the global economy than any other commodity in the world. Hematite is the main iron ore in the Brazilian miles (Axinn 2006). In the global world, metallic world is virtually unknown. It is the fourth most abundant element in the world, though, silicate or carbonate minerals are the vastest minerals. Formidable and extremely energy intensive barriers often are used to separate supremely pure iron from other minerals (David 2006). Before the industrial revolution, most of the iron used was obtained from goethite, which was widely available. Societies during the pre historic times used laterite as the main source of ore. Most of the iron ore used by the emergent industrialized societies was obtained from haematite. These deposits are often called the nat ural ores. The increased iron ore demands in conjunction with the depletion of the most high quality haematite in the United States of America led to development of low quality sources of iron. This happened especially after Second World War. These lower sources of iron require beneficiation to improve on their quality. Magnetite on the other hand, is used due to its magnetic properties. Therefore, it is able to be separated easily from other minerals and was able to produce high quality concentrate with minimal impurities. The mining of these iron ores vary considerably with the type of ore that is being mined. Currently, there are four types of ores of iron being worked on. The business of mining ore is often a low margin one due to the significant low level of iron than other base metals. It is expensive to mine, meaning it is extremely capital intensive. It requires a heavy investment in infrastructure such as rail transport in order to transport the ore from the mining sites to the freight ship. Therefore, mining of ore is concentrated among the majority few. The world leading and largest iron producer is Brazil. This mining corporation is referred to as vale. Other developed countries follow the line due to the high costs involved in the mining and transportation of the ore. My research question arises from my curiosity to find out how iron ore is produced, consumed and distributed in the global market. This is because I understand that the cost involved in its mining process and transportation is quite high. Therefore, I would like to find out how extreme the ore is mined and the processes used in the mining process (Edward 2007). Executive Summary This research is concerned with the production, consumption and distribution of iron ore globally. In other words, it seeks to show candidly the cycle of iron ores from its mining and separation from impurities until the moment it is processed and distributed to the global market for various uses. The researc h shows all the methods used in extraction of these iron ores and how it is separated from other metallic substances or impurities. It also reveals research rationale that is used in carrying out my research. In addition, this research paper has addressed my research question based on the prevailing international market and all the key findings that emerge (Institute 1997). Moreover, the methodology I use to address the research question is emergent in the research paper. The paper