Iron Applications

Iron and its alloys are the basis o modern industry. In spite of composites, ceramics and polymers which became dominants in some fields, iron is still the most important construction material in modern industry. It is the first among all substances produced by chemical methods.

Magnetic properties of iron find are widely applied. It is the basic material used in cores of electromagnets and electromechanical devices. Iron oxide (III) is the most common material for their production.

Catalytic properties of iron are applied in production of ammonia.

Many iron compounds are used as a coloring agent in paints. The most common of them are red ochre and yellow ochre, which is the mixture of iron hydroxyls with clay and its sorts: brown umber, burnt sienna, red lead, also called minium and rust FeO(OH).

Ferrocene may be used as antiknock agent in fuels and mineral oils.

In medicine iron in different forms, such as reduced iron, iron lactate, glycerophosphate, Fe (II) sulfate, Blaud's pills, ferric malate, ferramide, ferroceron etc., are used in iron deficiency treatment.

Iron isotopes ⁵²Fe, ⁵⁵Fe and ⁵⁹Fe are indicators in biology and medicine and in blood diseases diagnostics.