The mineralogical, size and chemical characteristics of slime vary from discharge point to the distal part of the Tailing pond of Kiriburu iron ore mines. They can be grouped as three end members of slime composition- (i) coarse grained dense martite microplaty hematite type, (ii) coarse to medium grained goethite and clay dominated martite hematite type, (iii) fine grained hematite-goethite-clay type, occurring systematically away from the discharge point. Any slime will have a bulk composition intermediate to these three end members. The study has significance in the planning for exploitation of slime
