Steve Sells Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) Last night there was a strange topic in the chat as some people have no idea the ferrous metal means. Ferrous it not a synonym for magnetic as some want to think. and stainless steel IS ferrous at it is steel, and titanium is not ferrous not steel. Ferrous, in chemical science, indicates a bivalent iron compound (+2 oxidation state), as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound (+3 oxidation state).[1] Outside of chemical science, ferrous is an adjective used to indicate the presence of iron.[1] The word is derived from the Latin word ferrum (iron).[2] Ferrous metals include steel and pig iron (which contain a few percent of carbon) and alloys of iron with other metals (such as stainless steel.) The term non-ferrous is used to indicate metals other than iron and alloys that do not contain an appreciable amount of iron.[3] 1] ferrous - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary 2] Etymology (Meaning of Words): Origin of a word, iron rust, ferrus 3] non ferrous - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Edited February 1, 2009 by steve sells typos. as usual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Wasn't in the chat--dial up here, takes FOREVER-- but Steve, that is the simplest explanation I have heard. I have explained the difference, or at least tried to, on several occasions but this one is so much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) My very limited understanding is from high school chemistry. The table of electrovalancies represents 1.) the number of and 2.) the electrical charge of the free electrons orbiting the atom. So when we look at FE2 O3 (ferric oxide) we see two atoms of Iron (III) which have 3 positive electrons orbiting each - attached to three of Oxygen (which have two negative electrons each. We cannot get Fe (Iron III) O(one and a bit) as nature does not like the imbalance so that's why we need two iron to three oxygen to make a nice even match. We can get ferrous (valancy 2+ or Iron II)) to mix with oxygen forming Ferrous oxide FeO Is this correct? Edited February 1, 2009 by Mark Aspery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 OK - I really digging deep into the memory now! Because iron has these spare electrons whizzing around its atom it is very unstable. It wants these electrons to be attached to something. As we have a great abundance of Oxygen the iron often connects with it. The Iron when connected to the Oxygen is in a more stable state - at one with the world you might say! That is why iron rusts so readily. This is how we find iron in 'the wild' as an oxide. To make the metal iron that we use, we have to drive off the attached oxygen. But the iron is always looking at ways to get back to its 'wild' and stable state. Is this correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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