Abstract: In order to alleviate the contradiction between resources shortages of domestic iron ore resource and increasing demands， implement the globalization development strategy of mineral resource， it was imperative to exploit and develop foreign iron ore resources. The chemical composition， phase composition， occurrence state of element， dissemination relationship and distribution of element of certain foreign iron ore were deeply analyzed by optical microscope， chemical analysis， XRD and SEM analyses. The results show that TFe grade of the ore is 55.88%， and mineral composition is simple. Hematite and limonite are the main useful minerals， and gibbsite is the main gangue. The distribution of hematite is mainly allotriomorphic granular or llotriomorphic–hypidiomorphic granular and the hematite is closely locked with other minerals. Limonite distributed around hematite and show allotriomorphic granular distribution or colloform distribution. Gibbsite is included in iron mineral and mainly be granular and clastic. Since the complex dissemination and fine grain size of minerals， the mineral liberation is hard. SEM-EDS surface photograph of main minerals show that the elements of iron and aluminum are equally distributed and locked closely. And partial aluminum is present in hematite and limonite in the form of isomorphism. Thus the separation of iron and aluminum is hard by physical beneficiation， and it is recommended to use the combined beneficiation-metallurgy process to treat this kind of the ore.

Key words: Iron ore, Process mineralogy, Mineral composition, Dissemination characteristic, SEM