Abstract
Mössbauer spectroscopy was used for the identification of the components in iron rusts formed on steel plates, nails and bolts exposed to air for long periods. The Mössbauer absorption spectra of the rusts were measured at both room and liquid nitrogen temperatures as a function of the calcination temperature, and compared with the spectra obtained for uncalcined and calcined α-, β-, γ -and superparamagnetic α-FeOOH. The main components of the rusts were identified as γ-FeOOH, α-Fe2O3, superparamagnetic α-FeOOH and superparamagnetic α-Fe2O3. β-FeOOH was found only in the sample exposed to a marine environment. The spectrum for magnetite, Fe3O4, was not obtained for any of the rusts, because sampling was made by avoiding the vicinity of the metal phase.
