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Iron – Discussion
Typically, iron is presented as a hard metal that is tough enough to support buildings and bridges. However, that is not pure iron but alloys of iron. Alloys of iron are metals formed after combining iron and carbon and other elements. The pure metal is different; from its physical properties to its chemical properties. In appearance, pure iron is silvery-white and is easy to work with by shaping, molding, and is soft enough to cut through. For instance, one can hammer iron sheets and draw them into wires. Like other metals, iron is a great conductor of electricity and heat and can be easily magnetized.
Pure iron is rarely seen because it readily combines with oxygen to form other compounds of iron. As such, one of iron’s shortcomings as a construction material is that it reacts with moisture during corrosion to create a flaky, reddish-brown oxide called rust. Further, iron reacts with carbon, Sulphur, silicon, and halogens like chlorine and fluorine.
In iron’s chemical properties, its compounds can be classified into two groups: ferric and ferrous (iron (II) and iron (III), respectively). In iron (II) compounds, iron has a valency of +2. For example, iron (III) oxide (FeO) is a pigment; iron (III) chloride is used in medicine as a tincture of iron, and iron (II) sulfate is a vital dyeing chemical. In iron (III) compounds, iron possesses a valency of +2. An example is an iron (III) oxide used as a magnetic material in cassette tapes and computer hard drives. Sometimes it is used as a paint pigment. Iron (III) chloride is another ferrous compound that is used to manufacture many industrial chemicals. In some cases, iron (II) and iron (III) are present in the same compound. For example, the paint pigment Prussian blue is a complex iron (II), iron (III), and cyanide.