Taconite

Item Description

This is a fine example of Taconite pellets, a processed form of enriched Iron ore. Taconite pellets are made from taconite ore (a silicious rock with a high iron content). The Taconite is ground to a fine powder, from which Magnetite is extracted and then mixed with clay, thus forming the pellets. Scientists and engineers developed this process, and it helped rescue the extensive iron mining industry in Minnesota and elsewhere around the Great Lakes. Formerly in the collections of Alfred Patrie and Ted C. Johnson. Just interesting , as a weird industrial product form this massive American iron mining operation!: There is a huge story about how taconite was important to the iron industry in America. Wikipedia starts with this: When the high-grade natural iron ore was plentiful, taconite was considered a waste rock and not used. ... After many years of hard work, a process was developed to create taconite pellets. Taconite saved Minnesota's iron ore mining industry.