Iron Oxide Applications

Iron Oxide Applications

Iron oxide is an important and useful chemical compound made up of iron and oxygen; it occurs naturally, and can also be produced industrially. They are primarily used as iron ores, catalysts, pigments and thermite, as well as occur naturally in our blood, in hemoglobin.

Synthetic iron oxides are an important type of inorganic pigments and have the second-highest sales after titanium dioxide.

The benefits of Iron oxide are that they are strong, durable, stable, resistant to saline weather, UV rays, and many atmospheric conditions – and inexpensive to boot. This makes them very popular, and iron oxide uses can be seen in several applications, with construction and coatings being the biggest market.  Iron Oxide also in demand in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and iron and steel industries.

There are several processes to manufacture iron oxide and its pigments synthetically, and several types of iron oxides. They are not hazardous in nature and can be easily and safely used and transported too. Single component iron oxide forms are usually produced in red, black and yellow, with brown and orange being blended.

Iron oxide pigments are among the most important inorganic pigments and are valued for their ability to remain stable to fluctuating temperatures, low reactive nature, low toxicity, and excellent tinting strength. It is used the most in the construction industry globally, thanks to the ever-increasing requirement for infrastructure development. Together, the paint and construction industries account for a third of global demand for iron oxide and iron oxide pigments.

The second-highest demand for iron oxide manufacturers comes from the coatings industry – and pigments are specially used for the exterior and interior industrial coatings which necessitate materials to be durable, anti-corrosive, and stable. Iron Oxide For retaining the strength of the paint film and get optimal color effects, dispersible and micronized pigment grades are required by many paint applications.

Iron Oxide special applications conventionally include ceramic colors, Iron Oxide in cosmetics, rubber, medicines, colored paper, brake linings in vehicles, wood polish, fertilizers, Iron Oxide glass manufacturing, cork sheets, pigmented mulch, and cattle feed. Nowadays Iron Oxide also used in the petroleum industry as catalysts, oil drilling rigs, production of hydrogen gas, Iron Oxide for removing hydrogen sulfide, and compound pigments.