Preface

As a pyrometallurgist who has specialized in raw material preparation and ironmaking

processes, I have always been keen on understanding iron ore, its mineralogy, and
upstream processes. This has provided me with a full appreciation of the phenomena
occurring during the downstream processing of iron ore, such as sintering, pelletizing,
and ironmaking. Over the years, I have had many opportunities to work with miner-
alogists and process engineers from different iron ore producers, who have been keen
to understand downstream iron ore processes. In fact this has become increasingly
important at a time when the market is so demanding and competitive with a strong
focus on tailoring products to better suit their end users. However, it appears there are
no modern books covering the broad area of technologies used throughout the iron ore
supply chain. It is this experience that motivated me to organize contributions and edit
this new book on iron ore. I believe it will prove to be a valuable reference book on a
subject that has not been covered in a single publication.
While the iron ore industry is sometimes viewed as a simple quarrying operation,
the industry is fiercely competitive internationally and has been over the years under
considerable pressure to improve productivity and reduce its environmental footprint.
This is particularly so for the steel industry. From 1992 to 2012, the world has seen
drastic increases in iron ore production from about 925 Mt per annum to 2.93 Bt per
annum and crude steel production from approximately 506 Mt per annum to 1.124 Bt
per annum. These massive increases have been underpinned by the development and
deployment of leading edge technologies. While there are excellent books on indi-
vidual facets of the iron ore supply chain, most of these books were published in the
1970s and 1980s. There have been significant technological developments since then.
This new book aims to provide all involved in the various stages of the iron ore sup-
ply chain, from those who initiate the development of a resource to those involved in
the various end-user market areas, with information on the latest practices and expert
views on the research and technology development trends. Following an introductory
overview of the global iron ore industry, this book is thematically divided into the
following four sections:
●
Characterization of iron ore using advanced analytical tools.
●
Recent advances in iron ore extraction, comminution, classification, and physical and phys-
icochemical as well as biotechnological separation techniques.
●
Detailed insight into iron ore agglomeration and blast furnace ironmaking technologies.
●
Environmental issues and low-emission technologies related to iron ore production and
utilization.

The chapters in this book have been carefully prepared by a wide range of interna-
tionally renowned experts and summarize the current status of these areas as well as
the new technologies being developed to underpin the future of the iron ore industry.
xviiiPreface

Finally, I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the preparation of
the book, particularly Dr. Ralph Holmes from CSIRO. I sincerely hope it becomes a
valuable source of information to industry professionals and academics working in
the genesis, geology, geometallurgy, exploration, mining, processing, and marketing
of iron ores and those who are interested in the science and technology of ironmaking
processes.

Dr. Liming Lu
The Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Brisbane, Australia
January 28, 2015