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Geometallurgy of iron ores

Conference Paper · January 2012

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9 authors, including:

Erick Ramanaidou Eugene Donskoi

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
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Hapugoda Sarath C. M. MacRae

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
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 Geometallurgy of iron ores

1 2 2 3 2
Erick RAMANAIDOU , Eugene DONSKOI , Sarath HAPUGODA , Colin MACRAE , James MANUEL ,
2 2 3 1
Mike PETERSON , Andrei POLIAKOV , Mark POWNCEBY and Martin WELLS
1
CSIRO Earth Science & Resource Engineering – Minerals Down Under (MDU) National Research
2
Flagship, Perth, Australia, Email: Erick.Ramanaidou@csiro.au, CSIRO Process Science &
3
Engineering -MDU, Brisbane, Australia, CSIRO Process Science & Engineering -MDU, Melbourne,
Australia

The term geometallurgy has numerous definitions but a common understanding is a vital requirement
if collaboration is to provide a holistic and integrated approach throughout the value chain. World iron
ore production doubled from 2003 to 2010 to reach 2.6 Bt to mainly satisfy the colossal demand from
Chinese steel mills for iron ores. The decrease in ore quality, the development of iron ore deposits
with new iron ore types, the vast volume of ore mined and the increased requirements from steel
makers have created an ever greater need for geometallurgy. In addition to optical microscopy, XRF
and XRD analysis, a wide range of methods are now applied to predict downstream processing,
including reflectance spectroscopy at the mine, diamond core and drill chips scale; optical image
analysis; scanning electron microscopy based platforms such as QEMSCAN™ and MLA for textural
and physical information; and electron microprobe and proton-induced X-ray emission for chemical
characterisation. In collaboration with the mining industry, CSIRO has combined these methods and
built iron ore characterisation and classification systems that are applied through exploration, mining
and processing stages to contribute to a better definition of iron ore types and their influence on
processed products. This has in turn enhanced production and optimised marketing strategies.
Selected iron ore deposits are used as examples for the application of these techniques and highlight
the benefit of their use delivers a better understanding of the geometallurgical properties of this
economically significant commodity.

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