Triiron tetraoxide
- CAS No.
- 1317-61-9
- Chemical Name:
- Triiron tetraoxide
- Synonyms
- CBNumber:
- CB51102179
- Molecular Formula:
- Fe3O4
- Molecular Weight:
- 231.5326
- MDL Number:
- MOL File:
- 1317-61-9.mol
Triiron tetraoxide Chemical Properties,Uses,Production
Chemical Properties
Black Fe3O4 is a mixed iron(II)—iron(III) oxide also obtained when iron is oxidized in a limited supply of air. It melts at 1538°, has a density of 5.2 and a heat of formation of -267.0 kcal mole-1. It occurs naturally as magnetite (lodes tone or magnetic iron ore), is strongly ferromagnetic and has a fairly high electrical conductivity.
Structure and conformation
Magnetite has the inverse spinel structure189 in which the Fe2+ ions are in octahedral sites and the Fe3+ ions are half in octahedral and half in tetrahedral sites in a cubic close-packed array of oxide ions. It is insoluble in aqueous acids ; it can be slowly oxidized to Fe2O3 by heating in air.