Scribd
Upload
72 views

An Introduction To Iron: Applications

Iron is the second most abundant metal in the Earth's crust after aluminum. It makes up 5% of the Earth's crust and is found in considerable quantities in the sun and stars. Iron is extracted from its common ores like hematite through a process of melting and refining in a blast furnace. When combined with small amounts of carbon, iron becomes steel, which is one of the most versatile and widely used metals. Iron exists in different crystal forms depending on temperature and is commonly found as an alloy with other elements in applications ranging from electronics and transportation to construction and machinery.

Uploaded by

Jose Velasquez Teran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
72 views

An Introduction To Iron: Applications

Iron is the second most abundant metal in the Earth's crust after aluminum. It makes up 5% of the Earth's crust and is found in considerable quantities in the sun and stars. Iron is extracted from its common ores like hematite through a process of melting and refining in a blast furnace. When combined with small amounts of carbon, iron becomes steel, which is one of the most versatile and widely used metals. Iron exists in different crystal forms depending on temperature and is commonly found as an alloy with other elements in applications ranging from electronics and transportation to construction and machinery.

Uploaded by

Jose Velasquez Teran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

An Introduction to Iron

An Introduction to Iron
Written by AZoM Jul 30 2001

Iron (Fe) has been known since prehistoric times. It makes up 5% of the Earth's
crust and is second in abundance to aluminium among the metals and fourth in
abundance behind oxygen, silicon, and aluminium among the elements. It is also
found in the sun and many types of stars in considerable quantity. Iron is found
native only in the form of meteorites known as siderites. Its common ores are
magnetic pyrites, magnetite, hematite (Fe2O3) and carbonates or iron.

Iron is obtained from its ores by fusing to drive off the oxygen, sulphur, and impurities.
Melting is carried out generally in a blast furnace, directly in contact with the fuel and with
the limestone as a flux. These combine with the quartz and clay, forming a slag, which is
readily removed. The product is crude pig iron, and further remelting and refining
produces commercially pure iron.

Iron metal is greyish in appearance and is very ductile. Small amounts of carbon will
significantly alter the properties of iron. Iron containing 0.15% of chemically combined
carbon is termed ‘steel’. It is very reactive chemically (it is attacked by most acids),
corrodes readily which is accelerated by the presence of moist air or elevated
temperatures.

Iron in its pure state is allotropic, existing as a solid in two different crystal forms. These
forms and occurrence are outlined below:

From subzero to 700°C iron has a body centred cubic crystal structure, identified as
alpha (α) iron, and is magnetic
From 700°C to 928°C iron changes from alpha (α) iron to beta (β) iron, the crystal
structure remains unchanged but it loses its magnetism
From 928°C to 1530°C iron changes to a face centred cubic crystal structure
identified as gamma (γ) iron
From 1530°C upwards the structure changes back to body centred cubic crystal
structure, identified as delta (δ) iron

Common iron is a mixture of four isotopes, while ten other isotopes are known to exist.

Applications

P
Saved from URL: https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=619
1
/2
An Introduction to Iron

Iron in the metal form is used in:

As the primary constituent of ferrous metals/alloys and steels
When alloyed with carbon, nickel, chromium and various other elements, to form
cast iron or steel, it is the most versatile and popular metal used by mankind
Electronics
Manufacturing
Magnets
Heavy construction and building
Automotive
Fabricated metal products
Industrial machinery
Transportation equipment
Instruments
Toys, sport goods
Carbonyl iron (Fe(CO)5) powder used for magnet core for high frequency
equipment, medical applications
Ferrocene or dicyclopentadienyl iron ((C5H5)2Fe), is used as a combustion control
additive in fuels. It is also used as a heat stabiliser in lubricants and plastics and for
radiation resistance
Iron carbide is used in high wear applications, such as mine processing equipment
Iron shot, peening shot, steel grit, steelblast, tru­steel shot, kut­steel, are used as a
replacement for sand in sand blasting operations tumbling operations and for metal
cleaning operations

P
Saved from URL: https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=619
2
/2

You might also like