Taconite
Taconite is an iron bearing mineral. However, its iron concentration is generally low. In the late 19th and early 20th century, iron ore was of such high quality (often having such high concentrations of iron that it could be welded to directly) that taconite was considered an uneconomic waste product. After World War II, most of the high grade ore in the United States had been mined out, and so taconite was turned to as a new source of iron. The Iron in taconite is into high grade iron ore. Low-grade ore is ground up, the iron separated from the contaminants, and then the remainder rolled into balls or pellets. This process of ore separation was originally developed by Thomas Edison.
The Mesabi Iron Range region of the American state of Minnesota is a major production area. The taconite is shipped through Two Harbors and the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin.
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