Iron

Real Metals · Common · Timeless

Cheap, everywhere, and it rusts. Iron is the fourth most abundant element in the crust, which is why a village smith can afford a bar of it and why a bar left out in the rain is scale by the end of the season. Get it hot enough and it welds to itself under the hammer, two pieces beaten into one.

Identity

Symbol
Fe
Atomic number
26
Source
Natural element
Used in
Cast Iron, Celestial Siderite, Damascus Steel, Inconel, Stainless Steel, Steel, Tamahagane, Wootz Steel
Also known as
Ferrum, Fe
Ores, before industry and since
Goethite, Hematite, Limonite, Magnetite, Siderite
Ore deposits
Placer deposit, Hydrothermal vein (lode), Porphyry copper deposit, Skarn, Lateritic deposit, Banded iron formation deposit, Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit, Bog iron, Ironstone beds, Oxidized zone (gossan)
Used in alchemy
Enchanted Iron Powder

Physical Properties

Appearance
Silvery-grey, metallic sheen that dulls quickly to reddish-brown oxide
Luster
Metallic
Density
7.87 g/cm³
Melting point
1538 °C
Boiling point
2862 °C
Lighter
Steel
Denser
Celestial Siderite
Magnetism
Ferromagnetic
Electrical conductivity
High

Mechanical Properties

Mohs hardness
4
Tensile strength
540 MPa
Softer
White Gold
Harder
Cold Iron
Workability
Easy
Brittleness
Moderate
Malleability
Moderate
Ductility
Moderate

Chemical Properties

Corrosion resistance
Low
Reactivity
Moderate

Lore & Narrative

The Iron Age began around 1200 BC when smiths discovered that iron, though harder to smelt than bronze, produced superior tools and weapons when properly worked. The secret spread rapidly, and within centuries iron had displaced bronze across Eurasia.

Notable uses
Weapons, armor, tools, construction, machinery
Forge uses
Weapons, Armor, Tools, Construction
Worldbuilding traits
Ubiquitous, Magnetic, Rust-prone, Cheap

Sources

Browse the Metal Encyclopedia — MGS Toolbox