Iron and Nickel Flashcards
How many countries in the world produce iron ore?
52
How many countries in the world produce steel?
73
What two countries produce iron and steel?
Brazil and Australia
What two countries are major consumers and exporters of steel?
Japan and China
Where do iron ore deposits form?
Between grey masses- the early rocks
Strong correlation between the distribution of ore deposits and location of rocks
What are the geological processes that form iron ore deposits?
On margins of ancient oceans, iron rich water rises up to shallow water and reaches oxygen rich water
From reducing to oxidisng conditions
Iron deposits generated (iron crystalises)
What needs to happen to iron ore to make it a usable mineral?
Secondary processes- gain of iron and loss of silica
How does nickel laterite ores form?
Intensive tropical weathering of dunite and peridotite that contains 0.3% nickel
What is the definition of a laterite?
A clay-rich horizon, rich in iron and aluminum oxides formed by weathering of igneous rocks in warm climates
Where are nickel deposited located globally?
Mainly between 22 degrees North and South longitude
Why are the tropics more appropriate for laterite formation?
They have a lack of seasonality
What is atmospheric heap leach?
New, cheap method of extracting nickel and cobalt from oxide profiles
