October 31 - November 3, 2004
Element of the Day
Saturday, October 30
Anglo-Saxon,
iron; Latin. ferrum: Genesis mentions that Tubal-Cain, seven generations from
Adam, was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron." A
remarkable iron pillar, dating to about A.D. 400, remains standing today in
Delhi, India. This solid shaft of wrought iron is about 7.25 m high by 40 cm in
diameter. Corrosion to the pillar has been minimal although it has been exposed
to the weather since its creation.
Discovered by: Iron was used prehistorically.
Uses: Iron is a vital constituent of plant and animal life and works as an oxygen carrier in hemoglobin. Taconite is becoming increasingly important as a commercial ore. The pure metal is not often encountered in commerce, but is usually alloyed with carbon or other metals.