Isotopes of iron

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Naturally occurring iron (Fe) consists of four isotopes: 5.845% of radioactive 54Fe (half-life: >3.1×1022 years), 91.754% of stable 56Fe, 2.119% of stable 57Fe and 0.282% of stable 58Fe. 60Fe is an extinct radionuclide of long half-life (1.5 million years).

Much of the past work on measuring the isotopic composition of Fe has centered on determining 60Fe variations due to processes accompanying nucleosynthesis (i.e., meteorite studies) and ore formation. In the last decade however, advances in mass spectrometry technology have allowed the detection and quantification of minute, naturally occurring variations in the ratios of the stable isotopes of iron. Much of this work has been driven by the Earth and planetary science communities, although applications to biological and industrial systems are beginning to emerge.[1]

The isotope 56Fe is of particular interest to nuclear scientists. A common misconception is that this isotope represents the most stable nucleus possible, and that it thus would be impossible to perform fission or fusion on 56Fe and still liberate energy. This is not true, as both 62Ni and 58Fe are more stable, being the most stable nuclei. However, since 56Fe is much more easily produced from lighter nuclei in nuclear reactions, it is the endpoint of fusion chains inside extremely massive stars and is therefore common in the universe, relative to other metals.

In phases of the meteorites Semarkona and Chervony Kut a correlation between the concentration of 60Ni, the daughter product of 60Fe, and the abundance of the stable iron isotopes could be found which is evidence for the existence of 60Fe at the time of formation of the solar system. Possibly the energy released by the decay of 60Fe contributed, together with the energy released by decay of the radionuclide 26Al, to the remelting and differentiation of asteroids after their formation 4.6 billion years ago. The abundance of 60Ni present in extraterrestrial material may also provide further insight into the origin of the solar system and its early history. Of the stable isotopes, only 57Fe has a nuclear spin (−1/2).
Standard atomic mass: 55.845(2) u

Table

nuclide
symbol
Z(p) N(n)  
isotopic mass (u)
 
half-life nuclear
spin
representative
isotopic
composition
(mole fraction)
range of natural
variation
(mole fraction)
excitation energy
45Fe 26 19 45.01458(24)# 4.9(15) ms [3.8(+20-8) ms] 3/2+#
46Fe 26 20 46.00081(38)# 9(4) ms [12(+4-3) ms] 0+
47Fe 26 21 46.99289(28)# 21.8(7) ms 7/2-#
48Fe 26 22 47.98050(8)# 44(7) ms 0+
49Fe 26 23 48.97361(16)# 70(3) ms (7/2-)
50Fe 26 24 49.96299(6) 155(11) ms 0+
51Fe 26 25 50.956820(16) 305(5) ms 5/2-
52Fe 26 26 51.948114(7) 8.275(8) h 0+
52mFe 6.81(13) MeV 45.9(6) s (12+)#
53Fe 26 27 52.9453079(19) 8.51(2) min 7/2-
53mFe 3040.4(3) keV 2.526(24) min 19/2-
54Fe 26 28 53.9396105(7) STABLE [>3.1E+22 a] 0+ 0.05845(35) 0.05837-0.05861
54mFe 6526.9(6) keV 364(7) ns 10+
55Fe 26 29 54.9382934(7) 2.737(11) a 3/2-
56Fe 26 30 55.9349375(7) STABLE 0+ 0.91754(36) 0.91742-0.91760
57Fe 26 31 56.9353940(7) STABLE 1/2- 0.02119(10) 0.02116-0.02121
58Fe 26 32 57.9332756(8) STABLE 0+ 0.00282(4) 0.00281-0.00282
59Fe 26 33 58.9348755(8) 44.495(9) d 3/2-
60Fe 26 34 59.934072(4) 1.5(3)E+6 a 0+
61Fe 26 35 60.936745(21) 5.98(6) min 3/2-,5/2-
61mFe 861(3) keV 250(10) ns 9/2+#
62Fe 26 36 61.936767(16) 68(2) s 0+
63Fe 26 37 62.94037(18) 6.1(6) s (5/2)-
64Fe 26 38 63.9412(3) 2.0(2) s 0+
65Fe 26 39 64.94538(26) 1.3(3) s 1/2-#
65mFe 364(3) keV 430(130) ns (5/2-)
66Fe 26 40 65.94678(32) 440(40) ms 0+
67Fe 26 41 66.95095(45) 394(9) ms 1/2-#
67mFe 367(3) keV 64(17) µs (5/2-)
68Fe 26 42 67.95370(75) 187(6) ms 0+
69Fe 26 43 68.95878(54)# 109(9) ms 1/2-#
70Fe 26 44 69.96146(64)# 94(17) ms 0+
71Fe 26 45 70.96672(86)# 30# ms [>300 ns] 7/2+#
72Fe 26 46 71.96962(86)# 10# ms [>300 ns] 0+

See also

J.M. Nielsen, "The Radiochemistry of Iron", National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council, 1960

Notes

  • Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends. Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses.
  • Uncertainties are given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. Uncertainty values denote one standard deviation, except isotopic composition and standard atomic mass from IUPAC which use expanded uncertainties.

References

Footnotes

  1. Dauphas, N. & Rouxel, O. 2006. Mass spectrometry and natural variations of iron isotopes. Mass Spectrometry Reviews, 25, 515-550

See also

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