Iron

Atomic properties of iron

• Chemical element with the symbol Fe• Atomic number 26• Melting point 1538 °C• Boiling point 2862 °C• Ferromagnetic• Vickers hardness 608 MPa• Brinell hardness 490 MPa

History

• Iron objects of great age are much rarer than objects made of gold or silver due to the ease of corrosion of iron

• Made as early as 3500 BC• Cast iron was first produced in China during

5th century BC• Blacksmiths in Luristan in western Iran were

making good steel by 1000 BC

Applications

• Iron is the most widely used of all the metals, accounting for 95% of worldwide metal production

• Used only in alloys• low cost and high strength make it

indispensable in engineering applications

Steel

• Iron is the main raw material of steel• Usually over 90% of steel is iron• Contains maximum of 2% of carbon• May include: manganese, nickel, chromium,

molybdenum, boron, titanium, vanadium and niobium

Summary

• Iron is everywhere• Pure iron rusts easily• Very important industrial metal