ABSTRACT
The iron particles used in this study were from carbonyl iron powder (CIP). The prefix 'carbonyl' is due only to the production process of this powder by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl to pure iron (with a thin iron oxide layer at the surface) and is not related to the composition of the final product. The decomposition process generates spherical particles by formation of shelllike layers around the nuclei. Carbonyl iron powders have found a broad range of applications in industry in electronic components (e.g., for plastic encapsulated inductor cores); for production of magnetorheological fluids, magnetic inks and toners; as supplements for food and pharmaceuticals; and for metal injection molding (MIM) and powder metallurgy.
