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No. 323 December 2004 Published monthly by Public Relations Center General Administration Div. Nippon Steel Corporation More about Nippon Steel http://www.nsc.co.jp WWW “A Pilgrimage: Colored Fibers Encounter Iron” (A series of works by Kei Tsuji) —Contribution for December 2004— (Works of art focused on “an alliance of iron—closely bound to both earth and man—with the arts of dyeing and weaving”) Born in Tokyo 1953, Kei Tsuji displays her installations, centered on dyeing and weaving, in deserts, woodlands and waterfronts the world over. Produced through a fieldwork approach, her installations represent a continuous pursuit of the connection between herself (dyed and woven cloth) and the realm of time and space (principles of the natural world). In this issue Regular Subscription If you have received the web-version of Nippon Steel News, you are already a registered subscriber, thus no new registration is required. Associates who wish to become subscribers are requested to click on the icon to complete and submit the registration form. Feature Story The Origin of Iron (Two-part series: 1) —Birth of the Iron Star: Earth— Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton have reached a basic agreement to mutually explore the possibility on strategic alliance for development of new mines and other fields. WWW Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton No. 323 December 2004 Feature Story The Genesis of Product Making The Origin of Iron (Two-part Series: 1) From the Creation of the Universe to the Evolution of Life IRON formed the earth about 4.6 billion years ago. Not only is iron indispensable for the progress of human civilization, it is vital for the evolution of organic life and for human existence. Iron is regarded as the final form of the nuclear fusion that began concurrently with the birth of the universe and is the most structurally stable element. Iron accounts for some 30% of the total mass of the earth and its proved reserves amount to about 232 billion tons, far greater than for any other metal. In this issue and the next, we will examine the birth of iron, the process by which iron ore is produced, and the indispensable “role of iron” in the growth and evolution of living things. In this regard, the “origin of iron” is highlighted as constituting the “genesis of product making” at Nippon Steel. WWW Back to Top Back Next Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton WWW Back to Top Back Next No. 323 December 2004 Feature Story Iron—the Universe’s Ultimate Masterpiece The origin of iron dates back to the beginnings of Universe. It is commonly accepted that the universe was born by an awesome explosion known as the “Big Bang.” The protons and neutrons that are the core constituents of atoms were created by the big bang from a state in which no matter had previously existed. These particles bonded to each other to produce the atomic nuclei of hydrogen and helium (two protons and two neutrons). The universe was in a chaotic state at this time with protons, helium, electrons and magnetic waves flying about. It is said that up to this point only three minutes had transpired since the big bang. After another 380,000 years or more had passed and the temperature of the universe had dropped to about 3,000 degrees centigrade, electrons were drawn to atomic nuclei to form atoms of hydrogen and helium. Because this event restricted the movement of electrons, the universe became clear, thereby bringing about an unobstructed view. For a while, these two basic elements that were stable in terms of energy hovered in space. Then, they were steadily drawn closer together by “fluctuations” of material called “dark matter” to form gaseous clouds that created stars. (See Fig. 1.) 13.7 billion years later: Present universe Nine billion years later: Birth of the solar system ~Five billion years later: Birth of stars Stars repeatedly come into being and die One million~one billion years later: Birth of primitive galaxies 380,000 years later: Clearing of the universe Three minutes later: Bonding of nuclear atoms 1/100 second later: World of light, protons, neutrons and electrons Big bang: 13.7 billion years ago Fig. 1 Evolution of the Universe The universe was born from a huge explosion called the Big Bang that occurred 13.7 billion years ago. Since then, the universe has evolved with stars repeatedly coming into being and disappearing. Earth, the iron star, was born 4.6 billion years ago, or 9.0 billion years after the big bang. Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton WWW Back to Top Back Next No. 323 December 2004 Feature Story The binding force of iron is strong because of the limited mass of its protons and neutrons. If the number of protons were to increase beyond iron, electrical repulsion would strengthen so that the binding force of nuclear particles becomes weak. Therefore, iron is the most stable of all elements. This state can be cited just as the “scrumming of iron elements.” Iron is the “ultimate masterpiece” created by “the alchemist named the universe.” Fig. 2 Birth of Iron Fig. 3 Iron—Element with the Lightest Protons and Neutrons H, He 1.002 Iron is likely to bond with each of the other elements. C, O Si, Mg, • • • 1.001 Mass Then, as these atoms were pressed against each other by the gravitational force of the stars, compression energy rose as temperatures increased, and the bonding of protons and neutrons continued to advance, thereby creating a succession of elements other than hydrogen and helium. This phenomenon is called “nuclear fusion” (thermonuclear reaction). (See Fig. 2.) As nuclear fusion progressed, it generated heat. Heat together with pressure further advanced the fusion process until finally giving birth to “iron.” With nuclear fusion came an increase in the number of protons and neutrons and a simultaneous increase in their total atomic mass. Then, the heat energy produced by the bonding of the protons and neutrons was released, thereby reducing the mass of each proton and neutron (Einstein’s special theory of relativity). The protons and neutrons that form the atomic nucleus of iron are the lightest of all the other elements. From this, it can be seen that the nuclear fusion that occurs in stars comes to an end with the birth of iron—the end of the first generation atoms. (See Fig. 3.) First Second generation generation The mass of atom (nuclear particle) is lightest. 1.000 Fe 0.999 Nuclear fusion 0.998 0 10 Supernova explosion Fe 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Atomic number Nuclear fusion (thermonuclear reaction) is a phenomenon whereby the gravitational force of stars compels the atoms within them to rub against each other and produce heat energy that, in turn, leads to the bonding of protons and neutrons and the subsequent production of elements other than hydrogen and helium. This phenomenon soon comes to an end with the birth of iron. When nuclear fusion occurs, the total mass of atoms increases, but the weight of their individual protons and neutrons grows steadily lighter. The protons and neutrons that constitute the atomic nuclei of iron are the lightest of all the elements, which indicates that nuclear fusion ended with the birth of iron. Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton WWW Back to Top Back Next No. 323 December 2004 Feature Story Birth of the Iron Star: Earth outside the stars, causing big bang. This is the “supernova explosion,” which turned the iron and other products produced by nuclear fusion into stardust that scattered into the universe. In supernova explosion, another nuclear fusion reaction was caused, one that produced the atoms appearing after iron in the periodic table, i.e., the second-generation atoms from nickel to uranium. Absorbing the explosive energy that gave them birth, the protons and neutrons of these later atoms became heavier than iron (Fig. 3). These second-generation elements also scattered into the universe where they floated about. In this way, diverse kinds of elements were born. Among these, the elements existing in the largest quantities were hydrogen and helium, the two basic elements brought forth by the Big Bang. But, when the elements produced in the first generation were left undisturbed as the nuclear fusion process continued to advance, these elements ultimately converged into iron. This is why iron exists in greatest abundance in the universe (Fig. 4). Fig. 4 Abundance of Elements in the Universe Abundance in the universe (solar system) Iron was born during the last stage of nuclear fusion. However, stars similar in size to the sun, even during advanced nuclear fusion, can only bring forth the elements up to carbon (six protons and six neutrons) and oxygen (eight protons and eight neutrons). Iron is produced in stars about 8 to 30 times the size of the sun. After a lapse of about 30 million years (a comparatively short period in terms of universal time), iron formed in the center of these stars. It was compact in size, no longer subject to further reaction, and marked the end of each star’s nuclear fusion process. Once the fusion process in these stars advanced to the point of producing iron, the stars were unable to continue changing. Diverse atoms were drawn to them from outside, and the nuclear atoms of iron that had existed stably at their center collapsed. Further, as the temperature and pressure rose, protons collided with electrons to produce neutrons, which released large numbers of neutrinos. Some of these neutrinos hit the atoms existing 10 10 10 8 10 6 10 4 10 2 10 0 10 -2 Relative atomic number ratio with Si set at 106 Fe 0 10 20 30 The abundance is extraordinarily more than those of any other metal 40 50 60 70 80 90 Atomic number The abundance of iron is far greater than that of any of other elements. Whether lighter or heavier than iron, all elements are ultimately transformed into iron as stars repeatedly come into being and die. Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton WWW Back to Top Back Next No. 323 December 2004 Feature Story Further, because second-generation elements cannot be generated without supernova explosion, they are less abundant and tend to convert back into iron due to nuclear fission and other nuclear reactions within the stars. The sun is a new star created through the accumulation of hydrogen, helium and other elements flying about the universe. As the sun’s core temperature rose, hydrogen ignited to begin a nuclear fusion reaction whereby hydrogen fused with heliFig. 5 Growth of Iron Ore Atmosphere um to emit brilliant light. The dust that was not absorbed into the sun collected in the shape of a disk on the sun’s equatorial plane. Eventually the dust accumulated to form numerous planets, of which Earth is one. Because Earth, which was born about 4.6 billion years ago, is located close to the sun, it was formed through the accumulation of comparatively heavy elements. This is the reason why iron is plentiful and constitutes one of planet’s main ele- ments. Just after its birth, Earth existed in a hot, partially molten state that allowed materials to move about easily. As a result, a three-layer structure—center core, mantle and crust—was formed under gravitational influence (Fig. 5). The earth consists of iron, silicon and magnesium oxides. Of these, iron is in greatest abundance and accounts for 34.6% of the planet’s total mass. CO2, HCl, SO2, N2 Crust Acid rain Mantle Iron ore O2 Core Fe Fe 2+ Plants Cyanobacteria Fe3+ Earth Fe Fe 4.6 billion years ago Upheaval Fe2O3, Fe3O4 At the time of Earth’s origin, elemental iron on the ground was converted to iron ions by acid rain and flowed into the sea. Cyanobacteria came into being in great quantities about 2.7 billion years ago and by means of photosynthesis introduced oxygen into the sea. This oxygen then bonded with iron to form iron-ore deposits. Iron-ore deposits were formed by the upheaval of the sea bottom. 3.8 billion years ago 2.0 billion years ago 1.5 billion years ago Operating Roundup Strategic Alliance between Nippon Steel and BHP Billiton WWW Back to Top Back No. 323 December 2004 Feature Story The next issue will introduce how iron ore deposits were formed and how iron has contributed to the evolution of life. Kazumasa Yamazaki, Dr. Eng. General Manger, Technical Development Planning Div., Technical Development Bureau, Nippon Steel Corporation 1976 : Entered Nippon Steel 1981~ : Studied abroad at Max-Planck-Institute, Germany 1983~ : Engaged mainly in the research and development of steel sheets; served successively as general manager of the Research and Development Div. and the Quality Control Div. (The text has been prepared under the supervision of Dr. Kazumasa Yamazaki, General Manger, Technical Development Planning Div., Technical Development Bureau, Nippon Steel.) OVERSEAS OFFICES All copyrights reserved by Nippon Steel Corporation 2004. 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