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Mineral Magnetite Uses

Magnetite is a highly magnetic mineral; in fact, magnetite is the most magnetic of all naturally occurring minerals. It is black or brownish-black in color with a metallic luster. Its chemical composition is Fe3O4; in other words, it's composed of three iron atoms and four oxygen atoms. It can be found on every continent on Earth, and its uses range from industrial to household to purely aesthetic.

Industrial Uses of Magnetite
- Most magnetite is used to produce steel.
  
  Magnetite is used in a number of industrial purification and conversion processes. The primary use of magnetite is as iron ore. The metallic iron (that's the Fe3 in the Fe3 O4) gets extracted and used as a raw material for steel and other alloys. Clean coal can be separated from coal contaminated with pyrite, a sulfurous mineral, by running high-sulfur coal over a slurry of magnetite. Similarly, magnetite helps make petroleum substitutes through the Fischer--Tropsch process, turning coal or biomass into synthetic fuel. It is a critical feature of the Haber-Bosch process, which industrially produces ammonia for fertilizers. Additionally, it serves as an aggregate, a mixture of sand and minerals, for high-density concrete.
Magnets, of course!
- From household staples to engineering innovations, magnetite plays a critical role in making magnets.
  
  Most magnets are made from magnetite, from ordinary refrigerator magnets to the enormous, powerful magnets utilized for maglev trains. If you've ever played with magnets, you know that opposite poles attract and like poles repel one another. Maglev or "Magnetic Levitation" trains use electromagnetic propulsion, rather than a traditional engine, which reduces friction and increases speed.
Biomedical Applications for Magnetite
- Increasing the efficiency of MRI scans is just one of many biomedical applications of magnetite.
  
  Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is the most widely used non-invasive medical imaging method. Researchers and doctors are beginning to use magnetite as a "contrast agent", injected or ingested by the patient to improve the scan's contrast between black and white, for MRI scans. Small, liquid particles of magnetite react to the electromagnetic current of the MRI and increase the efficacy of the scan. Magnetite has also been used in experiments to improve molecular recognition and drug delivery targeting. In holistic medicine, magnetic jewelry made from magnetite is used to decrease pain and increase circulation.
Miscellaneous Uses of Magnetite
- One of magnetite's earliest uses was as a paint pigment!
  
  Magnetite fills a number of other niche uses. Artistically, it is used in some red and brown paint pigments and as a toner in electromagnetic photography, which you may know as "Xerox." When ground into a fine powder, magnetite works as an abrasive added to high-powered water jets used to cut fine jewelry. Because magnetite is an oxygen-rich mineral, it is also added as a micro-nutrient to soil fertilizers.

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