Iron ore is an indigenous mineral composed primarily of iron oxides from which metallic iron can be profitably extracted. Iron is an essential raw material used to produce iron and steel and is therefore an important base material in the manufacturing and construction sectors of the global economy.

Key Features:

• High Iron Oxide Abundance: Iron ore is one of the predominant varieties of hematite (Fe₂O₃), magnetite (Fe₃O₄), limonite, or siderite with varying iron content and processing.
• The Primary Raw Material for Steelmaking: Primary raw iron ore is reduced to iron using a blast furnace and converted to liquid form pig iron or sponge iron using direct-reduction units, which is ultimately converted into steel.
• Globally Economically Important: High iron ore production levels in Australia, Brazil, India, and China make a direct contribution to global trade and economy and thus are a significant commodity for the future sustainability of economic development infrastructure projects.

Iron ores are important to modern civilization and industry for the construction, transport, machinery, and consumer goods industries. The amount of iron locked in iron ore depending on the quality of the iron ore directly influences the efficiency and cost of producing steel. Silica and alumina impurities are removed from iron ore during mining, which may be processed in the beneficiation of the ore prior to smelting.