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Iron

Iron is a ferrous metal that is obtained through mining. In nature it's found in hematite and magnetite. Iron is mostly used in steel products, but also in cast iron or wrought iron products like; pipes, valves, pumps, hardware, doors, railings, stairs and other decorative accessories.

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01: Cast Iron Door

Characteristics 

  • A ferrous metal

  • Silver in color, has various shades

  • Is a great conductor of electricity and holding high temperature

  • Strongly magnetic

  • Ductile and Malleable

  • When exposed to acids, it corrodes

  • When not used for steel, it's main forms are either wrought or cast

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02: Cast Iron Sink

Production & Maintenance

  • In modern extraction, equipment like a blast furnaces is used to get the ore

  • Reducing iron ore to a pure form is how production starts

  • Happens in two steps, preparation of materials and then to reduction, which is blast furnace

  • The molten iron is sent to steel works or other companies for production and then the slag is sent for treatment to make by products

  • Cast and wrought iron needs to be cleaned with soap and water, allowed to dry and finished with either a paint or wax meant for the type of iron.

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03: Cast Iron Clawfoot Tub

Environmental Impact

  • Over 2,000 million tons of iron ore are mined in a year, and 95% is used within the steel industry

  • By recycling iron, it can reduce the amount of air pollution because it is basically already made, which means it can be used again in steel production

  • There's no need to extract trees or destroy environments to get to it, therefore less intense on the environment than other minerals

  • Leaves minimal waste in the production process and is relatively inexpensive

Application

Iron can be applied in a variety of ways, one of those being wrought iron stairs and railings. This is a good application because of its longevity and durability. 

  • Wrought iron is forged by hand, which makes it easily customizable and able to be used in many spaces and support different styles. 

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ASTM Standards for Cast Iron​

  • A439 / A439M - 18 Standard Specification for Austenitic Ductile Iron Castings

  • A536 - 84(2019)e1 Standard Specification for Ductile Iron Castings

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Association for Iron and Steel Technology

  • a non-profit organization helping to advance the technology that develops iron and to lead in networking, education, and sustainability programs that support the developing technology within the field.

04: Wrought Iron Stairs and Railings

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05: Corrugated Iron Ceiling

Resources

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Information:

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Page by Rachael Neitzel

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