Iron information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
 Iron is the most commonly used metal for commercial applications due to its hardness, historical availability and low cost. Once used on its own, it is now alloyed with nickel and other elements to produce steel and other high strength, non-corrosive structural metals. Iron as a metal and as its many compounds has numerous uses. It is a primary colorant in glass and ceramics. It is a catalyst. It is the basis for low grade magnets and because of its magnetic properties is used extensively in memory tape. Iron is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder.
Iron facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
 Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Iron is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Iron is a Block D, Group 8, Period 4 element. The number of electrons in each of Iron's shells is 2, 8, 14, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d6 4s2. In its elemental form iron's CAS number is 7439-89-6. The iron atom has a radius of 124.1.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm.
Iron is not toxic.
All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets  and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Iron compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Iron was first discovered by Early Man.
 fer |
 Eisen |
 ferro |
 Ferro |
 hierro |
 Järn |
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of iron and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| Fe-54 |
53.939615 |
5.8 |
| Fe-56 |
55.934942 |
91.72 |
| Fe-57 |
56.935399 |
2.1 |
| Fe-58 |
57.933280 |
0.28 |
The following table shows the abundance of Iron present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
| |
Typical Human Body |
Universe |
| by Weight |
60000 ppb |
1100000 ppb |
| by Atom |
6700 ppb |
20000 ppb |
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for iron metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Iron compounds have an important biological role. It is the iron atom in hemoglobin which is responsible for carrying oxygen in blood.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for iron (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
762.47 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
1561.90 kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
2957.49 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to iron's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 şC is 9.71 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.83. The thermal conductivity of iron is 80.2 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for iron are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
14.9 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
340.2 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
413.96 kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for IronCytochrome b mutation Y268S conferring the atovaquone resistance phenotype in the malaria parasite results in reduced parasite bc1 catalytic turnover and protein expression.
Fisher N, Abd Majid R, Antoine T, Al-Helal M, Warman AJ, Johnson DJ, Lawrenson AS, Ranson H, O'Neill PM, Ward SA, Biagini GA.
J Biol Chem. 2012 Jan 26. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22282497
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Serum ferritin levels and endocrinopathy in medically treated patients with ß thalassemia major.
Belhoul KM, Bakir ML, Saned MS, Kadhim AM, Musallam KM, Taher AT.
Ann Hematol. 2012 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22281991
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Iron supplementation to treat anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Besarab A, Coyne DW.
Nat Rev Nephrol. 2012 Jan 27;8(2):63. doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2011.217. No abstract available.
PMID:
22281971
[PubMed - in process]
Anemia in Critical Illness: Insights into Etiology, Consequences and Management.
Hayden SJ, Albert TJ, Watkins TR, Swenson ER.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 Jan 26. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22281832
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
IRON fMRI measurements of CBV and implications for BOLD signal.
Mandeville JB.
Neuroimage. 2012 Jan 16. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22281669
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Fatal idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis in association with pregnancy - Medico-legal evaluation.
Töro K, Herjavecz I, Vereckei E, Kovács M.
J Forensic Leg Med. 2012 Feb;19(2):101-104. Epub 2011 Oct 24.
PMID:
22281220
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Reduction of Fe(III)EDTA(-) in a NO(x) scrubbing solution by magnetic Fe(3)O(4)-chitosan microspheres immobilized mixed culture of iron-reducing bacteria.
Jing G, Zhou J, Zhou Z, Lin T.
Bioresour Technol. 2011 Dec 27. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22281145
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Reactive oxygen species are involved in ferroportin degradation induced by ceruloplasmin mutant Arg701Trp.
Persichini T, Francesco GD, Capone C, Cutone A, Bonaccorsi di Patti MC, Colasanti M, Musci G.
Neurochem Int. 2012 Jan 20. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22281056
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Effects of hypoxic preconditioning on the expression of iron influx and efflux proteins in primary neuron culture.
Du F, Fan M, Gong Q, Zhu LL, Zhu ZJ, Lu L, Ke Y.
Neurochem Int. 2012 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22281055
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Iron deposition of the deep grey matter in patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica: A control quantitative study by 3D-enhanced susceptibility-weighted angiography (ESWAN).
Chen X, Zeng C, Luo T, Ouyang Y, Lv F, Rumzan R, Wang Z, Li Q, Wang J, Hou H, Huang F, Li Y.
Eur J Radiol. 2012 Jan 24. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22280874
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Iron golf club with improved mass properties and vibration damping.
Roach RL.
J Acoust Soc Am. 2012 Jan;131(1):643. No abstract available.
PMID:
22280652
[PubMed - in process]
Stability analysis of ultrasound thick-shell contrast agents.
Lu X, Chahine GL, Hsiao CT.
J Acoust Soc Am. 2012 Jan;131(1):24.
PMID:
22280568
[PubMed - in process]
Role of Ureaplasma urealyticum in altering the endothelial metal concentration during preeclampsia.
Padmini E, Uthra V.
Placenta. 2012 Jan 24. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22280558
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
A polar corundum oxide displaying weak ferromagnetism at room temperature.
Li MR, Adem U, McMitchell SR, Xu Z, Thomas CI, Warren JE, Giap DV, Niu HJ, Wan X, Palgrave RG, Schiffmann F, Cora F, Slater B, Burnett TL, Cain MG, Abakumov AM, Van Tendeloo G, Thomas MF, Rosseinsky MJ, Claridge JB.
J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Jan 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22280499
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Targeting Vascular Changes in Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis and Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.
Karlik SJ, Roscoe WA, Patinote C, Contino-Pépin C.
Cent Nerv Syst Agents Med Chem. 2012 Jan 25. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22280405
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
[Transformation of copper and chromium in co-contaminated soil and its influence on bioavailability for pakchoi (Brassica chinensis)].
Wang D, Wei W, Liang DL, Wang SS, Hu B.
Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2011 Oct;32(10):3113-20. Chinese.
PMID:
22279932
[PubMed - in process]
[Distribution characteristic and assessment of soil heavy metal pollution in the iron mining of Baotou in Inner Mongolia].
Guo W, Zhao RX, Zhang J, Bao YY, Wang H, Yang M, Sun XL, Jin F.
Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2011 Oct;32(10):3099-105. Chinese.
PMID:
22279930
[PubMed - in process]
[Study of inactivating sulfate reducing bacteria with zero-valent iron nanoparticles].
Shu ZY, Wang J, Huang Y.
Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2011 Oct;32(10):3040-4. Chinese.
PMID:
22279921
[PubMed - in process]
[Combination of intersticial cystitis and adenomyosis in females suffering from chronic pelvic pain syndrome].
[No authors listed]
Urologiia. 2011 Sep-Oct;(5):10, 12-4. Russian.
PMID:
22279779
[PubMed - in process]
[Antidiabetes drug metformin is a donor of nitric oxide: ESR measurement of efficiency].
[No authors listed]
Biofizika. 2011 Nov-Dec;56(6):1125-33. Russian.
PMID:
22279758
[PubMed - in process] |
| Formula |
Atomic Number |
Molecular Weight |
Electronegativity (Pauling) |
Density |
Melting Point |
Boiling Point |
Vanderwaals radius |
Ionic radius |
Energy of first ionization |
| Fe |
26 |
55.85 g.mol -1 |
1.8 |
7.8 g.cm-3 at 20 °C |
1536 °C |
2861 °C |
200.pm |
0.076 nm (+2) ; 0.064 nm (+3) |
762.47 kJ.mol-1 |
|
