The simplest form of iron found in early objects and largely consisting of ferrite plus small, irregular proportions of non-metallic impurities ~ slag, present as inclusions drawn out along the main direction of forging and small proportions of alloying constituents, typically carbon (below about 0.1%), phosphorus, nickel, copper and arsenic. Plain iron is often referred to as wrought iron (q.v.) although the term ‘wrought’ is usually associated more particularly with iron which has been produced from cast iron by a secondary oxidising process.
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