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Iron

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Big Photo

Khungtukun Massif, Malaya Romanikha River, Khatanga, Taimyr Peninsula, Taymyrskiy Autonomous Okrug, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia
© Paul Bongaerts

Show Iron Photos (108)Discuss Iron



Formula:
Fe
System:IsometricColour:Iron-black
Hardness:4½
Name:Old english word for the metal.


Rare in igneous rocks. Forms the majority of the earth's core.

Classification of Iron

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:1/A.07-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:1.AE.05

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
E : Iron-chromium family
Dana 7th edition ID:1.1.17.1
Hey's CIM Ref.:1.57

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
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Type Occurrence of Iron

Type Locality:Qeqertarsuaq Island (Disko Island), Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland

Physical Properties of Iron

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Iron-black
Streak:Grey
Hardness (Mohs):4½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=160 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Malleable
Cleavage:Imperfect/Fair
On {001}
Parting:On (112)
Fracture:Hackly
Density (measured):7.3 - 7.87 g/cm3
Density (calculated):7.874 g/cm3

Crystallography of Iron

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:Im3m {I4/m 3 2/m}
Cell Parameters:a = 2.8664Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 23.55 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:In small blebs
Twinning:(111) in lamellar masses also {112}

Optical Data of Iron

Type:Isotropic
Colour in reflected light:White

Chemical Properties of Iron

Formula:
Fe
Essential elements:Fe
All elements listed in formula:Fe
Common Impurities:Ni,C,Co,P,Cu,S

Relationship of Iron to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
1.AE.05Molybdenum
Mo
1.AE.05Chromium
Cr
1.AE.05Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.AE.05Tungsten
W
1.AE.05UM2001-06-E:CrFeNi
Fe
 
7
Cr
 
2
Ni
1.AE.10Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.AE.10Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.AE.10Antitaenite
Fe
 
3
Ni
1.AE.15Chromferide
Fe
 
3
Cr
 
1-x
 (x=0.6)
1.AE.15Ferchromide
Cr
 
1.5
Fe
 
0.5-x
1.AE.15Wairauite
CoFe
1.AE.20Awaruite
Ni
 
3
Fe
1.AE.25Jedwabite
Fe
 
7
(Ta,Nb)
 
3
1.AE.30Manganese
Mn
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
1.1Copper
Cu
1.2Silver
Ag
1.5Gold
Au
1.6Auricupride
Cu
 
3
Au
1.7Tetra-auricupride
AuCu
1.8Zinc
Zn
1.9Cadmium
Cd
1.10Danbaite
CuZn
 
2
1.11Zhanghengite
CuZn
1.12Mercury
Hg
1.13Kolymite
Cu
 
7
Hg
 
6
1.14Moschellandsbergite
Ag
 
2
Hg
 
3
1.15Eugenite
Ag
 
11
Hg
 
2
1.16Schachnerite
Ag
 
1.1
Hg
 
0.9
1.17Paraschachnerite
Ag
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.18Luanheite
Ag
 
3
Hg
1.19Weishanite
(Au,Ag)
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.20Indium
In
1.21Aluminium
Al
1.22Khatyrkite
(Cu,Zn)Al
 
2
1.23Cupalite
(Cu,Zn)Al
1.24Diamond
C
1.25Graphite
C
1.26Chaoite
C
1.27Lonsdaleite
C
1.28Silicon
Si
1.29Tin
Sn
1.30Lead
Pb
1.31Anyuiite
Au(Pb,Sb)
 
2
1.31Novodneprite
AuPb
 
3
1.32Leadamalgam
HgPb
 
2
1.33Arsenic
As
1.34Arsenolamprite
As
1.35Paxite
CuAs
 
2
1.36Koutekite
Cu
 
5
As
 
2
1.37Domeykite
Cu
 
3
As
1.38Algodonite
(Cu
 
1-x
As
 
x
)
1.39Novakite
Cu
 
20
AgAs
 
10
1.40Kutinaite
Cu
 
2
AgAs
1.41Antimony
Sb
1.42Stibarsen
AsSb
1.43Paradocrasite
Sb
 
3
As
1.44Horsfordite
Cu, Sb
1.45Cuprostibite
Cu
 
2
(Sb,Tl)
1.46Allargentum
(Ag
 
1-x
Sb
 
x
)
1.47Aurostibite
AuSb
 
2
1.48Dyscrasite
Ag
 
3
Sb
1.49Bismuth
Bi
1.50Maldonite
Au
 
2
Bi
1.51Sulphur
S
 
8
1.52Rosickýite
S
1.53Selenium
Se
1.54Tellurium
Te
1.55Chromium
Cr
1.56Rhenium
Re
1.58Chromferide
Fe
 
3
Cr
 
1-x
 (x=0.6)
1.59Ferchromide
Cr
 
1.5
Fe
 
0.5-x
1.60Wairauite
CoFe
1.61Nickel
Ni
1.62Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.63Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.64Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.65Awaruite
Ni
 
3
Fe
1.66Palladium
(Pd,Pt)
1.67Potarite
PdHg
1.68Paolovite
Pd
 
2
Sn
1.69Stannopalladinite
(Pd,Cu)
 
3
Sn
 
2
1.70Cabriite
Pd
 
2
SnCu
1.71Taimyrite
(Pd,Cu,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.72Atokite
(Pd,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.73Rustenburgite
(Pt,Pd)
 
3
Sn
1.74Zvyagintsevite
(Pd,Pt,Au)
 
3
(Pb,Sn)
1.75Plumbopalladinite
Pd
 
3
Pb
 
2
1.76Osmium
(Os,Ir,Ru)
1.77Iridium
(Ir,Os,Ru)
1.82Platinum
Pt
1.83Hongshiite
PtCu
1.84Niggliite
PtSn
1.85Isoferroplatinum
Pt
 
3
Fe
1.86Tetraferroplatinum
PtFe
1.87Tulameenite
Pt
 
2
CuFe
1.88Ferronickelplatinum
Pt
 
2
FeNi
1.89Rhodium
(Rh,Pt)
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping):

- +
1.1.17.2Nickel
Ni
1.1.17.3Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.1.17.4Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.1.17.5Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.1.17.6Awaruite
Ni
 
3
Fe
1.1.17.6Hexaferrum
(Fe,Os,Ru,Ir)

Other Names for Iron

Other Languages:
Afrikaans:Yster
Albanian:Hekuri
Alemannic:Eisen
Arabic:حديد
Armenian:Երկաթ
Asturian:Fierro
Azeri:Dəmir
Basque:Burdina
Belarusian:Жалеза
Belarusian (Tarashkevitsa):Жалеза
Bengali:লোহা
Bosnian (Latin Script):Željezo
Breton:Houarn
Bulgarian:Желязо
Catalan:Ferro
Chuvash:Тимĕр
Corsican:Ferru
Croatian:Željezo
Czech:Železo
Danish:Jern
Dutch:IJzer
Erzya:Кшни
Esperanto:Fero
Estonian:Raud
Finnish:Rauta
French:Fer
Acier natif
Acier volcanique
Friulian:Fier
Galician:Ferro
Georgian:რკინა
German:Eisen
Gediegen Eisen
Greek:Σίδηρος
Guarani:Kuarepoti
Gujarati:લોખંડ
Haitian:Fè
Hakka:Thiet
Hebrew:ברזל
Hindi:लोहम्
Hungarian:Vas
Icelandic:Járn
Ido:Fero
Indonesian:Besi
Interlingua:Ferro
Irish Gaelic:Iarann
Italian:Ferro
Japanese:鉄
Javanese:Wesi
Kongo:Kibende
Korean:철
Kurdish (Latin Script):Hesin
Latin:Ferrum
Latvian:Dzelzs
Limburgian:Iezer
Lingala:Ebendé
Lithuanian:Geležis
Lojban:tirse
Low Saxon:Iesen
Luxembourgish:Eisen
Macedonian:Железо
Malay:Besi
Malayalam:ഇരുമ്പ്
Maltese:Ħadid
Manx:Yiarn
Maori:Rino
Marathi:लोखंड
Min Nan:Fe
Mongolian (Cyrillic Script):Төмөр
Nahuatl:Tlīltepoztli
Norman:Fé
Norwegian (Bokmål):Jern
Norwegian (Nynorsk):Jern
Occitan:Fèrre
Persian:آهن
Polish:Żelazo
Portuguese:Ferro
Quechua:Chuki
Ripuarian:Eisen
Romanian:Fier
Russian:Железо
Sanskrit:लोहम्
Scots:Airn
Scottish Gaelic:Iarann
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Гвожђе
Serbo-Croatian:Željezo
Sicilian:Ferru
Simplified Chinese:自然铁
Slovak:Železo
Slovenian:Železo
Spanish:Hierro
Swahili:Chuma
Swedish:Järn
Tajik (Cyrillic Script):Оҳан
Tamil:இரும்பு
Telugu:ఇనుము
Thai:เหล็ก
Traditional Chinese:自然鐵
Turkish:Demir
Ukrainian:Залізо
Uzbek (Latin Script):Temir
Venetian:Fero
Vietnamese:Sắt
Welsh:Haearn
Yiddish:אייזן
Varieties:
CarltoniteKamaciteMartensiteOktibbehite

Other Information

Other Information:Magnetic
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Iron

Reference List:

- +
Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Seventh edition, Volume I: 114-116.

Internet Links for Iron

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