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    iron (Fe)

    iron
    A silvery-white, lustrous, malleable, ductile, magnetic or magnetizable, metallic element. It occurs abundantly in combined forms, notably in hematite (Fe2O3, limonite (Fe2O3.H2O), magnetite (Fe3O4), and taconite, and used in a wide range of important structural materials. Iron is nearly always used in the form of alloys, which are harder and stronger than the pure metal. The chief alloys are cast iron, wrought iron, and steel, which are alloys of iron and carbon with small quantities of other elements. Except in special steels, such as stainless steel and tool steels, the percentage of iron in these alloys is very high – usually well over 95 percent. But it was only in the 19th century that any fairly cheap method of producing these alloys in large quantities was discovered.

    Iron is the most abundant element in the metallic cores of the inner planets and the fourth most abundant in the Earth's crust. Iron nuclei are created mostly by Type Ia supernovae, with additional contributions from Type Ib, Ic, and II supernovae. Iron is, from the point of view of its nucleus, the most stable element.


    atomic number 26
    relative atomic mass 55.847
    relative density 7.874 (at 20 °C)
    melting point 1,535 °C (2,795 °F)
    boiling point 2,750 °C (4,982 °F)


    Iron and life

    Iron is required as a trace element by terrestrial living organisms. It is the most abundant metal in humans with healthy adults possessing some 3–4 g. Most of this occurs in the oxygen-carrying pigment hemoglobin found in red blood cells.

    Iron is contained in a variety of foods, such as liver, meat, cereals (especially whole-grain), fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and beans. During pregnancy, iron supplements may be necessary for the healthy development of the baby.


    Related category

       • INORGANIC CHEMISTRY


    External link
    iron (interactive periodic table)



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