Hydrated Iron Oxide: Cross-field development from basic materials to high-end applications

As a multifunctional material, Hydrated Iron Oxide is gradually moving from the traditional basic material field to the high-end application market due to its unique chemical properties and wide range of physical properties. From pigment manufacturing to new energy catalysis, from environmental governance to biomedicine, the application scope of hydrated iron oxide continues to expand, showing huge market potential and cross-field value.

1. Traditional application fields: the solid position of basic materials
Hydrated iron oxide has always played an important role in traditional industries, especially in the pigment and coating industry. It has excellent weather resistance, chemical stability and tinting power, and is widely used in building exterior wall coatings, plastic coloring, rubber products, ceramic glazes and other fields. In addition, hydrated iron oxide has become the preferred material for many traditional industries due to its low cost and environmental protection characteristics.

Pigments and coatings
Hydrated iron oxide pigments (such as iron red, iron yellow, iron black, etc.) are widely used in architectural coatings, automotive primers and anti-corrosion coatings because of their bright colors and strong hiding power.
In recent years, with the strengthening of environmental protection regulations, the market share of hydrated iron oxide pigments has continued to expand due to their advantage of no heavy metal pollution.

Plastics and rubber
Hydrated iron oxide can be used for the coloring of plastics and rubber, providing stable color performance while enhancing the heat resistance and light resistance of the material.
In wood-plastic composites, hydrated iron oxide pigments can give products a natural wood color and promote the development of environmentally friendly materials.

2. Breakthroughs in high-end application fields
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the application scope of hydrated iron oxide has expanded from traditional fields to high-end technology fields, showing great innovation potential.

New energy catalysis
Green hydrogen production: Hydrated iron oxide nanoparticles have become a research hotspot due to their unique catalytic properties. Studies have shown that hydrated iron oxide exhibits high efficiency in photocatalytic water decomposition to produce hydrogen, and is expected to become an important catalyst for clean energy in the future.
Fuel cells: Hydrated iron oxide can also be used as anode catalysts for fuel cells to improve the stability and efficiency of batteries and promote the development of new energy vehicles and distributed power generation technologies.

Environmental governance
Water treatment: Hydrated iron oxide has good adsorption properties and can effectively remove heavy metal ions, organic pollutants and phosphates in water. It has broad application prospects in wastewater treatment and drinking water purification.
Soil remediation: Hydrated iron oxide nanoparticles can be used to fix and remove heavy metals in soil, reducing the harm of soil pollution to the environment and human health.

Biomedicine
Drug carriers: Hydrated iron oxide nanoparticles are used in the study of drug carriers due to their good biocompatibility and magnetism. They can achieve targeted delivery of drugs, improve therapeutic effects and reduce side effects.
Medical imaging: In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), hydrated iron oxide nanoparticles are used as contrast agents to significantly improve imaging effects and help doctors diagnose diseases more accurately.