Iron ore is a rock which contains iron oxide.
Metals - extracting metals
We get different metals from different sources.
| Some unreactive metals are found in nature as elements, not compounds, e.g. gold. Metals which were more reactive would have chemically combined (reacted) with oxygen in the air and water. | Most metals are mined as ores. This is a rock which contains the metal
chemically combined with other elements, usually oxygen. Iron ore is a rock which contains iron oxide. |
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We can use an element which is more reactive than iron to "displace" it from the iron oxide.
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We actually use carbon in the form of coke because it is cheap and
readily available. Iron ore and coke are reacted together in a blast furnace. A simple equation for the reaction would be Iron Oxide + Carbon --> Iron + Carbon Dioxide It is actually a bit more complicated but this will do for us.
Limestone is also added to react with impurities and this forms a "slag" which ends up floating on top of the molten iron at the bottom of the furnace. |