Product name | Denotation | Grain sizes [µm] | Purity [%] | Apparent density [g/cm3] | Additional information | |
FAST-Fe-100 | Electrolytic iron powder | d(10) app. 8 μm | >99.5 | 2.2* | ||
FAST-Fe-200 | Electrolytic iron powder | d(10) 3 - 6 μm | >99.0 | 1.1 - 1.3 | ||
FAST-Fe-600 | Carbonyl iron powder | d(10) app. 3.0 μm | >99.5 | 4.0* | ||
FAST-Fe-700 | sponge-iron powder | >150 μm 0% | >98.0
| 2.84 - 3.0 | ||
FAST-FeP-100 | Iron phosphide powder 16% P | d(10) app. 2.5 μm | Fe: C: P: | balance 0.5 - 1.0 % 15 - 16 % | - |
*Tap density
Iron (Fe) is a greyish transition metal with a metallic sheen and is part of the 8th group of the periodic table. It is the most common metal on earth. Most of the iron, along with nickel, is found in the inner and outer core of the earth. In the upper part of the earth's crust, it is the fourth most common element with 5.63 %. Iron occurs rarely occurs as a pure element, but mostly forms several hundred different iron minerals, with iron oxide minerals being the most important. Of the greatest economic importance are hematite (Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4), siderite (FeCO3), limonite (Fe(OH)•nH2O) and goethite (FeO(OH)). The most important iron deposits are so-called banded iron formations (BIFs), which consist of alternating, thin iron oxide layers.
Pure iron is relatively soft, ductile, and quite reactive. It is ferromagnetic below its Curie point of 770 °C.
Most of the iron produced is used for steel and cast iron production. Alloying with other metals such as chromium, molybdenum and nickel improves strength and toughness. In the form of steel, iron is used extensively in vehicle and shipbuilding or in the construction sector.
As a ferromagnetic metal, iron is used on a large scale in generators, transformers, relays and electric motors.