Generally, you don't have to make iron in the laboratory because it's available commercially.  But, because iron will only be found in its raw form on Arda, our group must figure out how to purify the iron the colonists will find lying around.  Small amounts of pure iron can be made through the purification of crude iron with carbon monoxide. The intermediate in this process is iron pentacarbonyl, Fe(CO)₅. The carbonyl decomposes on heating to about 250°C to form pure iron powder.

The Fe(CO)₅ is a volatile oily complex which is easily flushed from the reaction vessel leaving the impurities behind.  This method is one the colonists might use (obtaining the CO by burning charcoal and trapping the byproduct) to purify the iron.  Another method is the reduction of iron oxide, Fe₂O₃, with hyrogen, H₂. 

Also, nearly all iron produced commercially is made with a blast furnace. Assuming that the colonists can create a blast furnace, here is the reaction that takes place. Iron oxide, Fe₂O₃, is reduced with carbon (as coke) although in the furnace the actual reducing agent is probably carbon monoxide, CO.

Finally, according to WebElements.com, "This process is one of the most significant industrial processes in history and the origins of the modern process are traceable back to a small town called Coalbrookdale in Shropshire (England) around the year 1773."

Sources

Amato, Ivan. Stuff. Avon Books, 1997.

“Iron metallurgy.” McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science &Technology 1997 ed.

Trout, Robert. “Ancient Chinese Technology.” n.d., <http://east_west_dialogue.tripod.com/dialogue/id1.html> (4-20-03)

Spence, David. “Arda Chemistry.” n.d., <http://sun.menloschool.org/~dspence/arda/chemistry/metallurgy.html> (4-20-03)

Images

fig.1

<east_west_dialogue.tripod.com/ dialogue/id1.html>

figs 2&3: “Iron metallurgy.” McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science &Technology 1997 ed.

fig.4

<http://www.meconlimited.com/ steel1.htm>

fig.5

<http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/D-H/em/short_courses/ferrous.html>