Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Converting
Minerals to Metals
From Ore to Finished Product
IRON
While rarely found in its native state, iron was available to the ancients in small
amounts from meteorites. This native iron is easily distinguished as it contains
6 to 8% nickel. In the early times, iron was five times more expensive than gold
and its first uses were ornamental. Later in history iron weapons revolutionized
warfare and iron implements did the same for farming. Iron and steel became a
building block for civilization, and remain so to this day. In 2004, annual world
production of crude steel exceeded one billion tons for the first time. No other metal is
used in such quantity.
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