Iron and Steel

IRON AND STEEL

1. Kinds of Iron and Steel

1. Pig iron – 4% - 5% carbon content and varying amounts of contaminants such as sulfur,     silicon and phosphorous
2. Cast iron – 2% - 4% carbon content, 1% - 6% silicon and small amounts of manganese
3. Carbon steel – between 0.4% - 1.50% carbon with small amounts of manganese, sulfur, phosphorous and silicon
4. Wrought iron – contains less than 0.2% carbon

• Tough, malleable and does not rust

1. Alloy steels – contain varying amounts of carbon and other metals such as chromium, tungsten, vanadium, molybdenum, nickel, etc.
2. Iron Oxides – are used in the production of magnetic storage media in computers often mixed with other compounds

1. Sources of iron ore

1. Magnetite (Fe3O4) – 70& iron
2. Taconite – 30% iron

• must first be process into iron oxide pellets by crushing and magnetic separation of the magnetite to concentrate the iron to about 66% before use in steel making

1. Hematite (Fe2O3) – 70% iron, mineral form of iron (III) oxide
2. Limonite (Fe)()H)∙nH2O) – 50% - 66% iron content, dark brown ore
3. Siderite (FeCO3) – 48% iron contains no sulfur or phosphorous

[pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]  [pic 5]

Figure 1. (a) magnetite            (b) hematite                         (c) limonite                         (d) taconite                          (e) siderite

COPPER

• ductile metal with excellent electrical conductivity and component of other alloys; extensively used in the manufacture of electrical and thermal conductors as well as building materials.

Characteristics

1. reddish – colored metal
2. very high electrical and thermal conductivity
3. high surface tension in the liquid state
4. insoluble in water, isopropanol or isopropyl alcohol
5. has two stable isotopes
6. has a half life of 12.7 hours

COPPER ORES

1. Bornite (Cu5FeS4) – color brown to copper red color on fresh surface that tarnishes to iridescent   purple surface; copper content 63% by mass
2. Cuprite (Cu2O) – composed of copper (I) oxide; known as ruby copper with copper content at 88.82%
3. Tennantite – copper arsenic sulfosalt mineral; copper content 47.51%
4. Tetrahedrite (Cu12Sb4S13) – steel grey to black metallic mineral; copper content 34.80%of rare copper antimony sulfosalt mineral

[pic 6]  [pic 7] [pic 8]  [pic 9]

                       Figure 2. (a) bronite                            (b) cuprite                      (c) tennantite                 (d) tetrahedrite

1. Atacamite – copper content 59.51% with color in various shades of green; comparatively rare mineral
2. Azurite – copper content 55.31%; soft deep blue copper due to weathering of copper ore deposits
3. Malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2) – copper content 57.48%; carbonate hydroxide mineral of copper (II)
4. Chalcocite (CuS) – copper content 79.85%; of copper (II) sulfide; opaque being colored dark grey to black with a metallic luster

 [pic 10] [pic 11] [pic 12] [pic 13]

    Figure 3. (a) atacamite                               (b) azurite                           (c) malachite                           (d) chalcocite