Iron phosphide is a chemical compound of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

and

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

, with a formula of FeP. Its physical appearance is grey, hexagonal needles. Manufacturing of iron phosphide takes place at elevated temperatures, where the elements combine directly. Iron phosphide reacts with moisture and acids producing

phosphine Phosphine (IUPAC name: phosphane) is a colorless, flammable, highly toxic compound with the chemical formula , classed as a pnictogen hydride. Pure phosphine is odorless, but technical grade samples have a highly unpleasant odor like rotting ...

(PH₃), a toxic and

pyrophoric A substance is pyrophoric (from grc-gre, πυροφόρος, , 'fire-bearing') if it ignites spontaneously in air at or below (for gases) or within 5 minutes after coming into contact with air (for liquids and solids). Examples are organolit ...

gas. Iron phosphide can be used as a

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way. ...

. It has use in high power, high frequency applications, such as

laser diode The laser diode chip removed and placed on the eye of a needle for scale A laser diode (LD, also injection laser diode or ILD, or diode laser) is a semiconductor device similar to a light-emitting diode in which a diode pumped directly with e ...

s. Below a

Néel temperature In physics and materials science, the Curie temperature (''T''C), or Curie point, is the temperature above which certain materials lose their permanent magnetic properties, which can (in most cases) be replaced by induced magnetism. The Cur ...

of about 119 K, FeP takes on an helimagnetic structure.

Hazards and mitigation

Iron phosphide is a hazardous substance. Proper eye protection such as goggles should always be used when handling iron phosphide. It can be very harmful to the eyes, especially for individuals wearing

contact lenses Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmeti ...

. Contact lenses have been known to react poorly with iron phosphide due to its corrosive properties, but the scientific world does not all agree on the use of contact lenses in association with iron phosphide. In case of inhalation, the person should be moved to fresh air or given artificial respiration if not breathing. In case of ingestion, the person's mouth should be rinsed with water unless unconscious. In case of eye contact, immediate eye flushing is necessary.

References

{{Iron compounds Iron compounds Phosphides Semiconductor materials