Ferrous is a way to classify metals by iron content. Ferrous metals contain iron while non-ferrous metals do not contain iron. The word ferrous is derived from the Latin term "Ferrum" which means "containing iron", thus ferrous metals contain iron and non ferrous metals do not. Ferrous metals may be pure iron, like wrought iron, or they may be alloys of iron and other elements. Steel, being an alloy of iron and carbon, is therefore a ferrous metal. The iron in the ferrous metals cause the metal to rust, unless painted or oiled often, or if it is galvanized (plated with zinc).

Properties

Properties of Ferrous Metals:

• all contain iron while non-ferrous metals contain no iron.
• may be pure iron or they may be alloys of iron and other elements.
• it is common that they be highly magnetic, although not all of them are.

Background

The word ferrous is derived from the Latin term "Ferrum" which means "containing iron", thus ferrous metals contain iron and non ferrous metals do not. Steel, being an alloy of iron and carbon, is therefore a ferrous metal. The iron in the ferrous metals cause the metal to rust, unless painted or oiled often, or if it is galvanized (plated with zinc). Ferrous metals are often magnetic, but this property is not in and of itself sufficient to classify a metal as ferrous or non-ferrous. Austenitic stainless steel, a ferrous metal, is non-magnetic, while cobalt is magnetic but non-ferrous.

Metals

Common ferrous metals include the various irons and steels. Common non-ferrous metals include aluminum, tin, copper, zinc, and brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. Some precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum are also non-ferrous.