The reduction of iron ore using biomass-based reductants has opened up a new chapter because of its contribution to energy conservation and emission reduction. In this connection, the application of waste coconut shells (CS) as the reductant in the reduction roasting-magnetic separation of an iron ore overburden sample is explored. Characterization studies on the overburden having 49% Fe suggest that the sample is mostly a goethitic ore containing kaolinite as the major gangue mineral. A concentrate with 63.2% Fe at an iron recovery of 66.2% has been obtained from the low-intensity magnetic separation of the overburden roasted at a temperature of 800 degrees C, time of 60 min and a CS to feed ratio of 0.2. Characterization studies indicate the formation of magnetite and hematite under these optimum conditions, whereas roasting at a temperature of 900 degrees C and a reductant to feed ratio of 0.3 is found to form feebly magnetic phases like wustite, fayalite and complex iron aluminosilicates resulting in poor iron recovery. The thermo-gravimetric analysis studies explain the disintegration of the biomass and reduction of the iron ore thereby validating the reduction sequence as predicted using the characterization studies. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.