Magnetite, iron oxide, iron ore similarities and differences
Looking at questions and requests coming to us, we have observed that some words and terminology is confused or even at times used as synonyms.
Well-known alternative words to Magnetite
On our website, you will find the following alternative words to Magnetite in a variety of pages:
- MagnaDense
- MagnaChem
- MagniF
- Hematite
- Iron Oxide
- Iron Ore
- Fe 3 O 4
What is Magnetite?
LKAB mines magnetite, a natural iron ore, in its mines in Northern Sweden. Most of the iron ore is upgraded to high-quality iron ore pellets and sold to steel production. However, through LKAB Minerals the group has established itself as the leading supplier of magnetite as an industrial mineral for various industries, where its properties add value in use for the customer.
To this means, we have developed specific solutions (product grades/sizes and iron oxide content) to meet the requirements of each industry and use. To separate the products from each other, we gave these different names.
We use the brand name Magnetite when we sell our product in the foundry, energy storage or iron catalysts industries.
What is MagnaDense?
MagnaDense is a combination of the words ‘Magnetite’ and ‘Density’. We use the brand name MagnaDense in Civil Engineering and Offshore, where the density of our natural mineral is most important, in applications such as:
- Counterweights
- Radiation shielding
- Underwater foundations (for windmills or SPARs)
- Concrete weight coating for offshore pipelines
Within the MagnaDense range, we offer different grades (sizes) of magnetite that fit these applications best in a concrete mix or as a loose ballast.
What is MagnaChem?
MagnaChem is a combination of the words ‘Magnetite’ and ‘Chemistry/Chemical’. This is the brand name we use when our customers buy natural minerals for chemical solutions. The most well-known example is the use of MagnaChem in coagulants and flocculants for the water treatment industry. MagnaChem is a highly upgraded magnetite product with high purity and very high iron content.
What is MagniF?
MagniF is a fine and dried magnetite product with high purity and high iron content.
The applications for MagniF are found in the Polymers and Coatings industries where our customers use the product for, a.o.:
What is Hematite?
Hematite is the most common form of iron ore, LKAB offers this in addition to our magnetite products.
| Magnetite | Hematite | |
| Colour | Black | From brownish to reddish |
| Chemical formula | Fe3O4 | Fe2O3 |
| LKAB Source | Owned mines | Own mine & 3rd party sources |
| Iron content | Highest | High, but lower than Magnetite |
We supply our Hematite to specific applications based on our customer’s demands.
What is Iron Oxide?
Iron oxide is the generic description of chemical compounds that has oxygen molecules (O) next to iron (Fe) molecules. There are 16 different known Iron Oxides of which Magnetite is one. Iron oxide is the most commonly used product description for the foundry industry.
What is Iron Ore?
From our mines, we get Iron Ore; mineral rocks from which we produce our products for the steel industry and the industrial minerals industry.
What is Fe3O4?
Fe is the symbol for Iron and O is the symbol for Oxygen. When it is written like Fe3O4, this is the chemical formula for Iron Oxide which occurs in nature as magnetite. Therefore, it is used by many as a synonym for the word Magnetite.
Different words one origin
Our magnetite, or the alternative (brand) names we use, refer to the products that we mine from our Swedish sources and are adapted for the needs of the respective industries in which they are used.
Contact our team for more detailed product information or to request a sample.
