Which of the following is an iron ore ?
Limonite
Limonite is an ore of iron — option 3.
| Mineral | Composition | Ore of |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnabar | HgS | Mercury |
| Bauxite | Hydrated aluminium oxides | Aluminium |
| Limonite | Hydrated iron oxide, about FeO(OH)·nH2O | Iron |
| Pyrite | FeS2 | Contains iron, but worked for sulphur, not iron |
Why pyrite is the trap. Pyrite has iron in its formula and even looks metallic and brassy — it is called “fool’s gold” for that reason. But an ore is a mineral from which a metal can be extracted profitably, and pyrite fails that test for iron: its sulphur content is high, sulphur is very difficult to remove from iron and makes the metal brittle, and better iron minerals are abundant. Pyrite is therefore mined mainly to make sulphuric acid, with the iron oxide left over as a by-product. Limonite, being an oxide, needs only reduction of the oxide and removal of the water.
The four iron ores in order of quality.
| Ore | Formula | Iron content | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetite | Fe3O4 | About 72 per cent | Best quality, magnetic |
| Haematite | Fe2O3 | About 70 per cent | Most widely mined in India |
| Limonite | Hydrated oxide | Roughly 60 per cent | Brown, low grade |
| Siderite | FeCO3 | About 48 per cent | Lowest grade of the four |
In India haematite dominates, mined in Odisha’s Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts, in Jharkhand’s Singhbhum belt, and in Chhattisgarh at Bailadila and Dalli-Rajhara, while magnetite is found chiefly in Karnataka at Kudremukh and in Goa.
Hence, the answer is Limonite.
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