Abstract
The Rouina mine is one of the oldest operated mines of iron ore in Algeria, its product is used like an adjuvant in the cement industry because the extracted raw material is considered as a low-grade ore. The present paper investigates on the one hand its mineralogical composition with the aim of understanding the morphology, texture, phase identification and iron properties; and on the other hand studying the influence of washing on its quality. For characterization, X-Ray Diffractions (XRD) of collected samples, analysis of thin sections with scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a sieve analysis followed by washing of each size fraction using a sieve mesh 0.074 µm were adopted. The obtained results revealed that the raw material of the Rouina mine is clayey low-grade iron ore and it is possible to obtain a pre-concentrate through the washing method. This article suggests in addition conducting deep studies of Rouina iron ore with physico-chemical characterization in order to confirm the prior results (mineralogical characterization) and then to permit a suitable enrichment method to be applied with the aim of obtaining a high-grade iron ore acceptable for the metallurgical industry.
Highlights
IntroductionIron is the main component of the steel industry, that why it plays a significant role in the evolution of the global economy
We noticed the presence of quartz like a dominant element related to iron oxides, that has a white colour (Figure 7.a). , we noted the presence of quartz bathed in a mass of goethite pre-sents in hilly forms (Figure b) to erased structure of finely fibrous aggregates (Figure c)
The Rouina iron ore is classified as a low-grade clayey iron ore, which contains hematite and goethite as useful minerals with quartz, calcite and clays as gangue minerals
Summary
Iron is the main component of the steel industry, that why it plays a significant role in the evolution of the global economy The growing demand for iron as a raw material coupled with the deterioration and exhaustion of high-grade iron ore deposits is a serious problem for the steel industry on a global scale The enrich-ment of low-grade iron ores, that are used like an adjuvant in the cement and ceramic industries, repre-sents an alternative solution for the future which would ensure the continued availability of raw materials (Li Ch et al 2010, Da Silva F.L et al 2014, Liu, S et al 2014, Osinubi, K.J et al 2015, Singh, S et al 2015)
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