著者

田村 元紀

出版者

公益社団法人 日本金属学会

雑誌

日本金属学会誌 (ISSN:00214876)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.75, no.1, pp.1-4, 2011 (Released:2011-01-01)

参考文献数

6

被引用文献数

1 1

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Functionality of element iron is reviewed from a view point of evolving earth and life. Energy conversion of oxidation-reduction reaction of iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) is important for life of some bacteria and this has been continued for more than 10 billion years. Furthermore, iron has been saving life on earth by geomagnetic properties by positioning on earth's core. This most abundant metal element iron has a lot of unique properties that can be not substituted by other elements. We have been utilizing iron-carbon materials as many kinds of tools because of those widely-controllable mechanical properties. Some of magnetic, mechanical, chemical and electric properties are well known but there may be a lot of unknown properties of element iron and iron materials. Further interdiciplinary studies are suggested.