title: Iron ore: energy, labor, and capital changes with technology.
abstract: Resource gathering is depending on leaner crude ores. Iron ore mining typifies this trend. To make lean taconite iron ores useful required a technologic breakthrough-pelletization. The shift to iron ore pellets has the advantage that they require less energy and labor per ton of molten iron than high-grade naturally concentrated ores. Increased reliance on pellets causes a geographic shift of some jobs and environmental effects from blast furnaces to iron ore mines.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kakela