Ultrafine iron oxide is produced in a controlled atmosphere furnace using reducing gases. While getting the reduced iron powder out of the controlled atmosphere furnace, iron powder immediately catches fire, this phenomenon is called pyrophoric tendency.
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In powder metallurgy, the problem is solved by adding various waxes to the fine iron powder. Suffice a quantity of 0.1-1% wax in the mixture with iron powder (wax is dissolved in gasoline or kerosene and iron powder is mixed in this solution). A thin layer of wax on the iron surface protects it from oxidation and corrosion. In addition, wax is used as a lubricant when pressing iron powder (facilitates pressing).
This seems to be interesting solution. Can you help me with the details of waxes used? I guess these are based on end use application so that depending on whether the solvent environment is suitable for oil soluble or water soluble waxes, the chemistry can be tuned.
It can be any paraffins (hydrocarbons with large molecular weights). Paraffins are soluble in oils and light hydrocarbons (gasoline, kerosene and others). Water solubility is not necessary in this case because water can react with iron powder.
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