2701.     PIERCE, H.  [Spontaneous Adhesion of Nascent Iron.]  Compt. rend., vol. 229, 1949, pp. 203-205; Chem. Abs., vol. 43, 1949, p. 8322.

        Low-temperature reduction of powdered Fe minerals yields Fe that has a strong tendency to agglomerate, whereas nonferromagnetic metals do not behave this way.  The attraction between grains of Fe to give agglomerates is due to a weak external magnetic field possessed by each grain and is enhanced by the breakdown of crystalline structure during the reduction.