Oolitic hematite

Oolitic hematite is a unique iron ore formed millions of years ago on ancient beaches. It started as tiny, round granules created by prehistoric algae. The algae used sticky mucus to trap mineral particles, rolling them together like tiny snowballs.

This ore is incredibly tough, hard to melt, and contains impurities like phosphorus. Because of this, extracting pure iron from it is a difficult and highly expensive process for steel mills. This image displays a cross-section of the ore, showing layers that look just like the growth rings of a tree.

鲕状赤铁矿是在远古时期由藻类用粘液粘附赤铁矿物及其它矿物，在宽阔的海滩上用滚雪球方式形成的球粒状赤铁矿物集合体。坚硬，难溶，含铁量较低，常含磷，冶炼成本高，是钢铁冶炼中的硬骨头。此照片为鲕状赤铁矿石的断面图像，鲕粒的圈层构造清晰可见，犹如树木的年轮。