Iron Range 101: What is taconite? | Twin Cities Daily Planet
Sep 18, 2011· Taconite is a lowgrade iron ore. Originally thought to be of little value, taconite was considered overburden (waste) in the days when high grade iron ore was mined. The iron content, magnetite, is only 20 30% compared to 50 60 % iron content in red ore. Red ore is also referred to as direct shipped ore because it can be shipped without processing.