[Rockhounds] Iron Mountain (was Mining Lake Michigan Sand for Magnetite)

[Alan Goldstein]

Nice  yellow apatite crystals are associated with the magnetite, so there is 
some phosphorous! See http://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?loc=38617.

Alan


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jb" <jabac at hal-pc.org>
To: "Horst Windisch" <horstwindisch at absamail.co.za>; 
"Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 2:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Mining Lake Michigan Sand for Magnetite


> Horst Windisch wrote:
>> Hi List,
>>
>> As an engineer who spent more than 40 years in an iron and steelworks, 
>> totally agree with Rik.Also at the Palabora Mining Company in South 
>> Africa, they had thousands of tons of magnetite lying on their dumps and 
>> could not sell it because of the reasons mentioned by Rik.
>>
>> Horst
>>
>
> It is interesting to note that Iron Mountain, Utah has produced some 80 
> million metric tonnes of ore, principally magnetite, since the mines were 
> opened about 1870. The original deposits are now somewhat depleted but the 
> whole area of hills including Iron Mountain itself was virtually pure 
> magnetite. At present, they are processing lower grade disseminated grains 
> into concentrates for shipment to Chinese smelters. The process seems 
> remarkably similar to that developed by Edison, namely crushing the rock 
> and magnetically recovering the magnetite. But it remains as concentrate 
> rather than as pellets as is done with taconite, because it is believed 
> that is more efficient for trans-oceanic shipping. I don't know how much 
> phosphorus is in the area but I would suspect it is below normal as iron 
> ore has been mined here for a very long time.
>
> I have been there in search of magnetite crystals and they can be found 
> (or could if they haven't shut down the area to collecting)  in nice sizes 
> and forms. The mined area and dumps is huge, literally thousands of acres 
> of open pit mine area. The country rock is principally limestone with some 
> traprock.
>
>
> john
>
> -- 
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