Iron (Ferrum)

1. Iron (Ferrum) By Luke Nichols

2. Mankind’s first use of Fe was from meteorites, and it dates back to prehistoric time • Cast Iron first produced in China (550 BC), then in Europe in Medieval period • Ideas spread from West Asia and people discovered that Iron made better weapons • Blacksmiths learned how to heat up the Iron ore to make it soft and malleable- they hammered the glowing Iron into weapons • Main use for Iron in ancient times was for sturdy weaponry

3. Characteristics of Fe

4. Source of Fe • Fourth most common element in Earth’s crust • Abundance estimated to be around 5% • Largest Iron resources around the world: • China, Russia, India, Australia, Brazil, and Canada • Extracting pure Iron from Iron Ore: • Iron is heated in a blast furnace w/ limestone and coke* • Coke reacts w/ the iron oxide to create pure iron • Limestone reacts w/ impurities to make a slag which can be easily extracted • At this point, the Iron is 90% pure- it is known as Pig Iron • Can be further treated to be converted to: • Wrought Iron, Cast Iron, or Steel *Coke= A solid fuel made by heating coal in the absence of air

5. Uses of Fe • Uses of Iron in the past: • 1200 B.C.: Used for tools, ornaments, weapons, armor, and other objects- Known as the “Iron Age” • 1900 A.D.: Method developed to turn Iron into steel, a much more durable metal- Used greatly in city building projects, building skyscrapers, locomotives, steam boats, etc. • Uses of Iron in Present Day: • Automobiles • Construction • Packaging, shipping • Machinery/ Industrial equipment • Rail transportation • Electrical equipment • Potential uses in the Future: • Iron’s uses seem limitless- it is widely used in a huge variety of instances • Mankind will most likely use Iron forever b/c of its naturally industrious qualities

6. Bohr's Model of Fe Electron Configuration: 2, 8, 14, 2