Ohio Iron Ore?

[DanFL1962]

Found this while hunting a field near Columbiana Ohio. Have done some research on iron ore but cannot confirm if this is what I found. Is it organic? Or a bi-product/waste from a steel mill? Anybody in northeast Ohio or Western PA ever find anything similar? Just curious if its common in that area.

Guessing it weighs over 4 pounds. Will throw it on the scale when I get to work tomorrow.

Thanks,
Dan

 

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[taz42o]

That looks like a splash of metal from a steel mill or a foundry. I work not far from Columbiana Processing mill slag, it is full of metal just like that and is called pit scrap. The mills used to dump whole valleys full of mill slag sometimes there would be whole kettle bottoms of iron weighing several tons. Cant be sure from pic but sure looks like it.

 

[Tony in SC]

Not ore, but maybe slag. Tony

 

[haybudden2]

It's possible this could be whats called a iron Bloom.
Also called puddle iron.
A Bloom was whats left after a lot of iron ore was
processed through a crude smelter at high sustained temperature.
The Bloom was then hammered or rolled into a bar or ingot.
This is the origin of "wrought iron"."Wrought" means
hammered or pounded. No carbon or additives at this
point.

That's what it could be......then maybe not.

Hay2

 

[taz42o]

Not ore, but maybe slag. Tony

slag is not Iron and does not look like iron though it may have small amount of iron in it.

 

[taz42o]

It's possible this could be whats called a iron Bloom.
Also called puddle iron.
A Bloom was whats left after a lot of iron ore was
processed through a crude smelter at high sustained temperature.
The Bloom was then hammered or rolled into a bar or ingot.
This is the origin of "wrought iron"."Wrought" means
hammered or pounded. No carbon or additives at this
point.

That's what it could be......then maybe not.

Hay2

Iron blooms are porous.

 

[haybudden2]

What do they look like after the next
step in processing.......puddle iron?

taz420, Did you process the bloom?

 

[DanFL1962]

Seems everyone is in agreement that it did not come out of the earth naturally. Not sure how this solo piece made it to a field but it makes sense that it came from some process in steel making, given the number of mills that used to be in that area. Based upon what you guys have said, I am guessing pit scrap. Taz, what do you think of haybudden2's puddle iron comment #6 above?

Here are some crops to give a closer view.

 

[taz42o]

What do they look like after the next
step in processing.......puddle iron?

taz420, Did you process the bloom?

No I did not make that bloom.

 

[taz42o]

I cannot say that it did'nt come from a puddling furnace , the closest one I think was in Leetonia. Or could be from a foundry there were many of those in Columbiana. I dont know of any way to tell for sure what it came from.
Here is a pic of a piece of pit scrap from a slag dump in Ohio that was dumped by a P.A. steel mill.

 

[DanFL1962]

Thanks taz! Your last pic convinces me. Looks so similar to my piece, except mine was rust colored. Leetonia, Columbiana, ...seems like you know the area well. I visit my family in that area often. Its a shame they have banned detected in Firestone Park as well as the East Palestine City Park.