Discover the Magnetic World: Top 23 Fun Facts About Iron You Never Knew!

1. Iron Man's Steel Foundation

Who needs a suit and tie when you can suit up in steel? Iron Man clearly had the right idea: Iron is essential in creating steel, accounting for over 90% of global metal production, thanks to its abundance, high melting point, and affinity for alloying with other elements.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Rusty Breather Microbes

Who knew that nature's version of an oxygen bar also includes rusty brews for microbes to sip in style? In a scenario that makes the fashion statement "rust never sleeps" truly come to life: some soil microbes use iron as an alternative to oxygen for breathing, a process called microbial respiration, which impacts nutrient availability and water quality in the soil and helps keep ecosystems thriving.
Source => newswise.com

Did you know magnesium plays a secret role in making soda cans stronger and more durable? Discover its other superhero uses in the world of automobiles and machinery!

=> Fun Facts about Magnesium

3. Stainless Steel's Snooze Button

They say rust never sleeps, but it just might be hitting the snooze button for stainless steel: Iron, when alloyed with at least 11% chromium, creates a passive film of chromium oxide that prevents the iron content from corroding, keeping it non-corrosive and robust for a lengthy lifespan.
Source => corrosionpedia.com

4. Iron's Magnetic Conditions

Don't be too quick to label iron as a hopeless romantic, constantly magnetized by every ferrous object that enters its life: Iron's magnetism is conditional, depending on its crystal structure, temperature, and composition – in fact, various forms of iron can even weakly repel magnets, rubbing shoulders with so-called "diamagnetic" buddies like copper, gold, and silver!
Source => thoughtco.com

5. Molten Iron's Cosmic Bouncer

Who knew the Earth's core doubled as a cosmic bouncer, keeping the solar riffraff out while throwing an aurora rave at the poles: It's all thanks to the molten iron swirling around in our planet's outer core, generating a magnetic field that not only protects us from harmful solar radiation but also creates those otherworldly light shows called auroras.
Source => usgs.gov

6. Salad Bar Superpowers

Iron Man might be a fictional superhero, but if he feasted on lean beef and dark leafy greens instead of relying on that fancy suit, he'd find himself powered by iron in a whole new way: This essential mineral not only helps with blood production but also plays a vital role in energy metabolism, collagen and neurotransmitter synthesis, immune function, and even body temperature regulation. Grab a fork, Tony Stark; your true power lies in the salad bar.
Source => ucsfhealth.org

7. Star Supernovas' Iron Diet

Feeling iron-deficient after a hard day's work, stars decide to pop some iron supplements, only to realize they've bitten off more than they can fuse: when a massive star exhausts lighter elements and proceeds to fuse iron, it can no longer sustain itself, succumbing to gravity and igniting a colossal supernova explosion that births elements heavier than iron, like gold and uranium!
Source => ck12.org

8. Faux Wrought Iron Art

When life gives you a single sheet of black cardstock, make... a faux wrought iron masterpiece worthy of a blacksmith's envy: By ingeniously slicing, curling, and gluing thin strips of cardstock into circles and scrolls, you can create a stunning piece of art that's a dead ringer for authentic wrought iron, all without a hint of molten metal or a single anvil in sight.
Source => thegraphicsfairy.com

9. Industrial Revolution Nail Enthusiasts

Hold onto your hats, dear friends, for the wheels of progress were once fueled by iron, fire, and an insatiable desire for more nails: During the Industrial Revolution in Britain, advancements in iron production using coal and coke in smelting led to a cheaper supply, bolstering industries like nail-making, hinges, wire, and more, while the creation of machine tools allowed improved iron working, solidifying its role in burgeoning machinery, engine industries, and whimsical teapot crafting.
Source => courses.lumenlearning.com

10. Hematite: Multitasking Bloodstone

Who needs a knight in shining armor when you've got hematite, the "bloodstone" that can shield you from more than just bad vibes and pesky spirits: This iron ore, rich in iron oxide crystals, has been a go-to for centuries in creating pigments, heavy media separation, radiation protection, and even ballast. Plus, it moonlights as a healing aid for anemia, kidney function, and tissue regeneration – talk about multitasking!
Source => mycrystals.com

11. Exoplanet's Iron Rain

Feeling a bit rusty? Imagine being an iron-plated exoplanet caught in a torrential downpour of molten metal: Researchers using the ESPRESSO instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope discovered that the exoplanet WASP-76b in the constellation Pisces experiences huge temperature differences between its day and night sides, causing iron to condense and rain down on its cooler night side, giving "ironclad" a whole new meaning.
Source => earthsky.org

12. Star Spectra Iron Fashion

In a galaxy far, far away, stars just couldn't resist accessorizing with a touch of fancy iron: Iron actually helps to determine the chemical properties of a star's atmosphere! By examining the gap-toothed smiles in a star's spectrum, astronomers can find out how much iron is present, and other crowd favorites like helium, magnesium, and silicon. These elemental proportions spill the tea on the star's age and the nitty-gritty of any planets orbiting it.
Source => fivethirtyeight.com

13. Iron's Oxygen Training

Iron: not just for pumping at the gym, but also for pumping oxygen through your veins! Seriously though: iron, a transition metal, is a crucial nutrient for humans and animals, as it aids in oxygenating blood and is also widely used in construction, machinery, and transportation due to its strength and durability.
Source => angelo.edu

14. Plants' Chlorophyll-filled Agendas

Who would've guessed that plants are aspiring Iron Men too, seeking to harness the power of this mighty metal for their own chlorophyll-filled agendas: Iron is essential for plants, playing a crucial role in chlorophyll synthesis, maintaining chloroplast structure, and activating many metabolic pathways as a key component of numerous enzymes.
Source => jstage.jst.go.jp

15. Eiffel Tower's Puddled Iron

Forget about the Iron Throne; we've got puddled surprises in Paris: The Eiffel Tower was actually constructed using puddled iron, chosen for its resistance and flexibility, which was essential for a project of such colossal stature. Originating from local mines in Lorraine, France, and not Algeria as popular lore claims, this heap of puddles now stands as a cherished symbol of romance and architectural brilliance!
Source => wonders-of-the-world.net

16. Iron the Space Hitchhiker

Feeling a bit spacey? Well, so is iron! This metal has been hitchhiking across the cosmos, and it doesn't even need a towel: Iron is crucial in forming metallic asteroids and the cores of planetary bodies, helping us understand the early formation of the solar system and the differentiation processes throughout its evolution.
Source => oxfordre.com

17. Transformers' Recycling Superhero

Forget that Iron Man is one suit fits all: Steel, made from iron and carbon, is only one of many steel alloy options, as elements like nickel, molybdenum, and titanium can be added to create materials with unique properties. It's also a recycling superhero that would put the Transformers to shame, as an impressive 98% of steel can be reclaimed and reused to create fresh, high-quality metal products.
Source => reliance-foundry.com

18. Swiss Army Knight of Bodily Functions

In the Iron Throne of bodily functions, where every element vies for supremacy, Iron emerges as the Jon Snow of the body's chemistry, a true swiss army knife, much like the King in the North: From stabilizing collagen molecules like the Wall to conveying neurotransmitter ravens across synapses, Iron does it all! The serious reveal: Iron has a stake in about 6% of our body's energy metabolism, and even plays the role of mediator in the noble synthesis of collagen and neurotransmitters.
Source => ucsfhealth.org

19. Iron Age Farmers' Superpowers

Who needs Marvel superheroes when you have Iron Age farmers amping up their powers with iron tools? They probably didn't wear capes, but we bet they had killer plows: Iron transformed agriculture during the Iron Age, enabling farmers to till difficult soil and cultivate new crops, eventually creating more free time for leisure. These iron implements also improved efficiency in farming, paving the way for societies to thrive and prosper.
Source => newsroom.posco.com

20. Iron: The Body's Inner Superhero

Iron Man may not be swooping in to save your day, but there's a hero hiding within your very own body, waiting to flex its superpowers: iron is crucial for significant bodily functions, such as oxygen transportation by red blood cells, energy transfer within cells through vital enzyme systems, steroid hormone synthesis, bile acid production, liver detoxification, and neurotransmitter signal control in the brain.
Source => fao.org

21. Haematic Flair's Many Hats

Iron – it's not just for pumping at the gym or singing with The Iron Maiden! It's a mighty mineral that wears many hats with haematic flair: Found in various forms like hematite, magnetite, goethite, limonite, and siderite, iron is essential for steel production, with over 98% of mined iron ore put to that very purpose. Plus, let's not ignore its starring role in the formation of banded iron formations, those fashion-forward sedimentary rocks rich in iron that strut their stuff in Precambrian geological catwalks.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

22. Iron's Secret Rice Strategy

Did you know that rice is not just a staple food for billions of people, but also a secret undercover agent on a mission to pack a punch of iron? That's right, it's chock full of double oh kernel secret strategies: There are seven distinct transgenic approaches used to increase the concentration of iron in rice seeds, including enhancing iron uptake and translocation and overexpressing genes responsible for biosynthesis of mugineic acid family phytosiderophores.
Source => jstage.jst.go.jp

23. Iron Man's Red Blood Cell Powers

Who would have thought that Tony Stark's alter ego, Iron Man, has a real-life superpower coursing through our veins every day: Iron is essential for the creation of red blood cells and the transportation of oxygen throughout the body, accounting for 70% of the body's iron stockpile in these crucial cells.
Source => zrcworldwide.com