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The experimental programme has entailed the smelting of several different types of iron ore. The early experiments employed local ores: two different goethite ores from the Forest of Dean, a haematite ore from Llanharry (Vale of Glamorgan) and a sideritic claystone ironstone from Blaenafon. In order to have a stable ore stock for the later experiments, a South African (Sishen) haematite ore, kindly donated by Corus, has been used instead. Although rather different in physical properties, this imported ore is reasonably close to the less siliceous Llanharry and Miskin haematites in its chemical composition, as well as being fairly close to a Forest of Dean or Glamorgan goethite after roasting.
Material | SiO2 | Al2O3 | Fe2O3 | MnO | MgO | CaO | Na2O | K2O | TiO2 | P2O5 | LOI | total |
Drybrook: goethite | 1.68 | 0.05 | 90.71 | 0.08 | 0.31 | 0.06 | < | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 10.87 | 103.8 |
Clearwell: brown ochre | 1.69 | 0.21 | 86.63 | 0.08 | 1.07 | 1.46 | < | < | < | 0.06 | 12.47 | 103.7 |
Blaenafon: siderite (after roasting) | 19.08 | 3.93 | 65.05 | 0.79 | 1.93 | 0.71 | < | 0.62 | 0.27 | 0.20 | 7.84 | 100.4 |
Llanharry: siliceous haematite | 16.03 | 0.06 | 84.11 | < | 0.06 | 0.05 | < | < | < | 0.01 | 1.1 | 101.4 |
Sishen: haematite | 3.14 | 0.97 | 94.94 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.12 | n.d. | 0.11 | 0.70 | 100.1 |
Notes:
"<" denotes oxide below detection limit.
The Llanharry haematite was a very high silica batch. Run-of-the-mill Llanharry haematite would have had a lower silica content.
The Drybrook goethite was used for smelts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9.
The Llanharry haematite was used for smelts 6 and 8.
The Clearwell ochre was used for smelts 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.
The Blaenafon siderite was used for smelts 10, 17, 18 and 19.
The Sishen haematite was used for smelts 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.