It makes sense and it could very well work. Elemental iron is a good reducing agent like elemental zinc. How good or bad an agent is for reduction or oxidation is given by its redox potential, as in
this table.
The smaller the Eo(V) value an element has, the more reductive it is, whereas the larger Eo(V) it has the more oxidative it is. Zinc has an Eo(V) of -0.76 and iron is slightly weaker with an Eo(V) of -0.44, whereas elemental sodium is a stronger reducing agent with an Eo(V) of -2.71.
DO NOT ANYONE EVEN TRY TO ADD STRONG REDUCING AGENTS LIKE ELEMENTAL SODIUM, OR POTASSIUM IN WATER BEFORE KNOWING VERY VERY WELL WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!! THE REACTION IS STRONGLY EXOTHERMIC AND GETS ON FIRE!!! Need to calculate between salts and freebases?
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