siderophile element

chemistry

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Siderophile elements are a group of chemical elements that have a strong affinity for iron and tend to alloy with it. This characteristic means they are concentrated in the Earth's metallic core, rather than in the crust or mantle, which are primarily composed of silicate and oxide minerals.123

The term "siderophile" comes from the Greek word "sideros," meaning iron. These elements are scarce in the Earth's crust because they preferentially segregated into the nickel-iron core during the planet's formation. Examples of siderophile elements include gold, platinum, and nickel. The mineral siderite, an iron carbonate, is also related to this group due to its iron content.412356

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

7 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Moon
Main groupings
…of elements classified geochemically as siderophiles—elements that tend to affiliate with iron when rocks cool from a melt. (This siderophile depletion is an important clue to the history of the Earth-Moon system, as discussed in the section Origin and evolution, below.) Some lavas were relatively rich in elements whose atoms…
Read More
…of elements classified geochemically as siderophiles—elements that tend to affiliate with iron when rocks cool from a melt. (This siderophile depletion is an important clue to the history of the Earth-Moon system, as discussed in the section Origin and evolution, below.) Some lavas were relatively rich in elements whose atoms…
Read More