EXTRACTION OF IRON
ESSENTIAL TERMS
• METTALLURGY: BRANCH OF MATERIAL SCIENCE CONCERNED WITH THE EXTRACTION AND UTILIZATION OF
METALS.
• MINERALS: NATURALLY OCCURRING, HOMOGENOUS, CRYSTALLINE INORGANIC SOLID WITH A DEFINED
COMPOSITION.
• ORE: A MINERAL FROM WHICH A METAL CAN BE EXTRACTED PROFITABLY.
• ALL ORES ARE MINERALS, BUT ALL MINERALS ARE NOT ORES.
• GANGUE: PORTION OF THE ORE WHICH DOES NOT HAVE ANY COMMERCIAL VALUE
• PROFITABLY MEANS THE COST OF GETTING THE METAL OUT OF THE ORE IS SUFFICIENTLY LESS THAN THE
AMOUNT OF MONEY MADE BY SELLING THE METAL
GENERAL STEPS
Mining
Pretreating
magnetic attraction,
cyclone separation,
flotation, leaching
Converting mineral
to compound
Converting
compound to metal
Refining
Alloying
Iron is very reactive and is generally found in nature in the forms of
oxide, carbonates and sulfates.
The main ores are:
OCCURRENCE
OF IRON
Hematite (Fe2O3)
Magnetite (Fe3O4)
Siderite (FeCO3)
Pyrite(FeS2)
EXTRACTION OF IRON
• IRON IS BELOW THE CARBON IN REACTIVITY SERIES IRON IN THE ORE WILL REDUCE TO THE
IRON METAL BY HEATING WITH COKE OR CARBON
• ORE TO IRON METAL INVOLVES A SERIES OF OVERALL REDOX +ACID BASE REACTIONS EVEN
THOUGH THE DETAILED CHEMISTRY IS NOT UNDERSTOOD EVEN TODAY
• THERE ARE 3 STEPS
• 1. CONCENTRATION
• 2. CALCINATION
• 3. SMELTING
1. CONCENTRATION
• ORE IS BROKEN INTO SMALL PIECES, AND IT IS SEPARATED BY A GRAVITY SEPARATION
PROCESS IN WHICH IT IS WASHED WITH WATER TO REMOVE SAND AND CLAY ETC.
2. CALCINATION AND ROASTING
• THE ORE IS HEATED IN THE ABSENCE OF
AIR (CALCINATION)
• AS A RESULT, CARBONATES DECOMPOSE
INTO OXIDES
• FERROUS OXIDE IS CONVERTED INTO
FERRIC OXIDE
3. SMELTING
• THE CONCENTRATED ORE IS MIXED WITH THE CALCULATED QUANTITY OF COKE AND
LIMESTONE AND THE MIXTURE IS PUT IN THE BLAST FURNACE FROM THE TOP.
WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN
THE BLAST
FURNACE
REACTIONS
• HEIGHT 40 M
• WIDTH 14 M
RELATE THE METHOD OF EXTRACTION OF A
METAL FROM ITS ORE TO ITS POSITION IN THE
REACTIVITY SERIES.
• The way we extract a metal from its ore depends on the position of
the metal in the reactivity series.
• Carbon is used to reduce oxides of metals below it in the reactivity
series.
•
Metals above carbon in the reactivity series cannot be extracted
from their oxides by heating with carbon.
• This is because the metal bonds to oxygen too strongly and the
carbon is not reactive enough to remove it.
• So, we must use electrolysis to extract metals more reactive than carbon, such as
aluminum, magnesium, and calcium.
LINKS FOR MCQS
• HTTPS://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/BITESIZE/GUIDES/ZV7F3K7/TEST
• HTTPS://QUIZIZZ.COM/ADMIN/QUIZ/5E6EFE063A5DB3001C5D5612/EXTRACTION-OFIRON?SOURCE=MAINHEADER&PAGE=QUIZPAGE&SEARCHLOCALE=
• HTTPS://PLAYER.QUIZALIZE.COM/QUIZ/695D99D1-FF94-4BD3-8A88-23529BBCFA69