Specific Features of the Structural State of Iron Ions in Iron-Containing Composites Irradiated by Fast Electrons

The present paper analyzes the valence-coordination state of iron atoms in polymer composite materials fabricated from polystyrene and iron-ore concentrates – magnetite and hematite – upon exposure to fast electrons with energy of 6.2 MeV and fluence of 10¹⁸ electrons/cm². Changes in the phase content and valence-coordination and magnetic states of iron atoms are established. After irradiation, the hematite phase is transformed into the magnetite phase with a predominance of Fe³⁺ ions with [FeO₄] coordination, and the magnetite phase forms the wüstite-type (FeO) phase in which Fe²⁺ ions are arranged in [FeO₆] coordination.