What are the differences between irons used in our products?

What is steel?

Steel is an alloy made up of iron and carbon.

What is Corten steel?

Corten is a steel with added phosphorus, copper, chromium, and nickel-molybdenum.  These added components increase the steel’s resistance to atmospheric corrosion because they create a protective patina on the surface.  

What is mild steel?

Mild steel is a ferrous metal made from Iron and carbon.  Mild steel is recyclable.  It does not have a high resistance to corrosion in its untreated form, but this can be improved by applying a surface protection product to the exposed parts.

What is cast iron?

Cast iron is a group of iron-carbon alloys with a high carbon content.  It also contains silicon.  Cast iron has a low melting point, has good fluidity/castability and excellent machinability.  It is resistant to deformation and wear.  However, it tends to be brittle. Pig iron, most commonly used form of cast iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry in the production of steel.  It has a very high carbon content along with silica and other constituents of dross which makes it very brittle.  The Chinese have been making it since the later part of the Zhou dynasty, which ended in 256BC!

What is wrought iron?

Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content. It has a small amount of silicate slag and consists of around 99.4% of iron by mass.   It is tough, malleable, corrosion resistant and easily forge welded.

Is the iron we eat the same as the iron in products?

Yes and no, the difference is in the bond.  Iron in metals is bonded together with metallic bonds, iron in our body is bound in an organic molecule.  The molecule of metal iron (fe3C) needs to be broken down to extract the iron element and reconfigured into organic iron (fe4O). (This is way over my pay grade, but they are different.) From what we understand, if you ingest metal iron (in a powdered form) it will dissolve in your stomach acids and can become available for your body to use.  Iron, whilst a heavy metal, is essential to the human body as it allows your red blood cells to bind oxygen molecules.  Too much in your body would result into a heavy metal poisoning.