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Iron Ore: Important To Australia's Economy

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Australia's iron ore are very important to Australia's economy. In a single year Australia's iron ore mines produce more than 660 million tons of the ore, that is about 75 billion dollars in export revenue. This makes iron ore one of the largest exports in Australia. Not only do iron ore exports make money in Australia the iron ore industry also pays more than 10 billion dollars in taxes and royalties each year to the Australian government

Iron comes in many forms including cast iron, galvanized iron, steel, stainless steel and tool steel. Each of these different forms of iron have different components (all including iron)and different properties and different uses. Cast iron is made up of iron + up to 5% of carbon and occasionally 1-3% of silicone. Cast iron main properties are that it is hard, brittle and it rusts easily. Cast iron is usually mostly used to make or form components of camp ovens, engines, cylinder blocks and woks. Steel is another metal made from iron and less than 1% carbon. The advantages of steel is that it is hard, strong and malleable and this makes steel perfect for uses such as buildings, machinery, transportation, cans and containers and household appliances. The first uses of iron is about 6000 years ago people would make tools, weapons and ornaments …show more content…

but iron is found most heavily in the earth's crust. It is found so much in the earth's crust that it makes up to 5% of the weight of the earth's crust. Iron is known to be one of the main elements of the earth's core. Iron is found on the surface of the earth in soil in low concentrations. Iron is rarely found in pure forms iron is usually found combined with nature. Iron ore are the most common ways to find iron for distribution. the main iron ores are hematite or ferric oxide (Fe2CO3), taconite or an iron silicate and magnetite or ferrous-ferric oxide( Fe3O4), iron pyrite or iron disulfide,

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