Magnetic Mineralogical Characteristics of Hamersley Iron Ores in Western Australia

Abstract

This paper presents the research outcomes of a magnetic mineralogical study on Hamersley iron ores. Thermal magnetic analysis shows that typical high-grade martite-microplaty hematite or M- (mpl H) and martite-microplaty hematite-goethite or M-(mpl H)-g ores contain a small amount of original magnetite. A small amount of magnetite/maghemite and pyrite/pyrrhotite/siderite may exist in typical martite-goethite (M-G) and martite-ochreous goethite (M-oG) ores. In “the hardcap zone”, M-(H)-g ores contain a small amount of magnetite and maghemite. Compared with XRD, thermal magnetic analysis is not only more sensitive in identifying trace of magnetite contained in high-grade hematite ores, but also more diagnostic in identifying other unstable magnetic minerals like maghemite and pyrite/pyrrhotite/siderite co-existed in the ores.