Effect of biological media on the physical, chemical, and magnetic properties of carbonyl iron and nickel powders

Abstract

The paper examines changes in carbonyl iron and nickel powders subjected to model biological media: water media and media containing human blood plasma. It is established that carbonyl iron powder interacts with biomedia containing blood plasma six times as fast as with water media. No oxidation or corrosion is observed in the process. The magnetic properties of the powder after the interaction with plasma-containing media do not practically deteriorate. Iron powder is intensively absorbed by blood plasma, Fe3+ ions forming complex compounds with proteins. On the contrary, carbonyl nickel is not absorbed by blood plasma for five days, and the powder specific surface area and particle morphology remain practically unchanged after the interaction. Blood plasma seems to dissolve and transform metals according to the human body’s demands. In the case of carbonyl iron, this process proceeds faster than corrosion does. In the case of carbonyl nickel, the opposite is observed.