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Scheikunde Iron Decomposition
Scheikunde Iron Decomposition
mal
deco
mposi
tion
in the
indust
ry
(iron
ore)
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Introduction
In this report we are going to discuss several questions that
have to do with the thermal decomposition of iron ore. We are
going to discuss what thermal decomposition is, show the
balanced equation of the thermal decomposition of iron ore, tell
why carbon monoxide is added during the decomposition of iron
ore, what cast iron is, how the conversion of cast iron to steel
contributes to an increased greenhouse effect and at last but
not least, a block diagram of the thermal decomposition of iron
ore in the presence of carbon monoxide.
We hope you like it!
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Questions
1. What is thermal decomposition?
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There are 4 different types of cast iron:
Grey cast iron
This is the most well-known and widely used type of
cast iron. The carbon in grey cast iron leads to the
formation of graphite flakes. Therefore grey cast iron
has a graphitic microstructure. Graphite is a form of
carbon which is soft, has an iron gray colour and is
shiny. When the grey cast iron breaks, there are
numerous of little cracks formed due to the presence
of the graphite flakes. The fractured cast iron has a
typical grey colour which is why this type of cast iron
is called grey cast iron.
The graphite flakes cause the grey cast iron to
have a low shock resistance, low tensile strength Cracks of fractured grey cast
and make the cast iron less elastic. iron at microscopic level
Grey cast iron also has a lot of advantages. The
graphite flakes for example make the cast iron easy to process and to cast as
well as the graphite flakes cause the grey cast iron to be smooth. Grey cast iron
wont deform easily which makes grey cast iron very useful in many industrial
applications.
Molten grey cast iron has a greater fluidity and it expands very well during the
process of solidification of the cast iron. This makes the grey cast iron very useful
in industry like automobile and textile factories.
White cast iron
White cast iron is hard but brittle. The hardness of the
white cast iron is caused by the presence of carbon.
The carbon in white cast iron forms large particles
which increase the hardness of the white cast iron.
When the white cast iron is broken white cracks are
seen. The white cracks are caused by the presence of
carbide. Carbide in an impure substance which causes
the cracks of white cast iron to be white.
White cast iron also has a relatively low melting
point, high compressive strength and it is very Cracks of fractured white cast
wear resistant. This makes white cast iron very iron at microscopic level
useful in a lot of applications. White cast iron is
mainly used in crushing, grinding and milling applications. Still white cast iron is
limited in application as it isnt very shock resistant and it has difficulties
maintaining the shape and structure in thicker and bigger sections.
Malleable cast iron
Malleable cast iron is cast as white cast iron. By a special heat treatment that the
white cast iron undergoes, the brittle structure is transformed into the malleable
form. This special heat treatment includes 2 days of heating and 2 days of
cooling. During this process the carbide in the white cast iron becomes graphite.
The malleable cast iron has properties from both grey and white cast iron.
Because of the slow process, the graphite structure is formed into irregular
rounded particles (spheroidal particles) instead of flakes which is the case in grey
cast iron. The spheroidal particles are quite far away from each other and are
easy to recognize as they have rounded boundaries. The size of a part which can
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be casted in malleable is limited, as it is made from white cast iron which has
difficulties maintaining its shape when the parts of the white cast iron are very
big.
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Ozone
You could compare these gases to a very big blanket which keeps the earth
warm. The greenhouse effect isnt bad at all as it is just a natural process
designed by nature that keeps the earth warm and helps us to survive.
Some of the heat is send into space, some of it burns along the atmosphere and
some of the heat is found between the lower atmosphere and the Earths surface.
Because we are emitting more and more of those greenhouse gases by for
example burning fossil fuels and deforestation, more warmth it kept in the
atmosphere. So the increase in the number of greenhouse gases leads to an
increase in the Earths surface temperature which leads to global warming.
But this isnt the only way the conversion of iron ore into steel contributes to an
increase in the greenhouse effect.
All the steel that had been made, also has to be transported. Ships and lorries
also emit greenhouse gases. Like the conversion of iron ore into steel, ships and
lorries also emit carbon dioxide. But on top of that they also emit water vapor
which also is one of the greenhouse gases and so also increase the greenhouse
effect.
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Converting iron ore into steel also has other
consequences besides contributing to the
greenhouse effect:
First of all there can be a loss of nature areas
because of mining the iron ore, coke and limestone.
The chemical plants also need a big area to be built
on. Besides that, the exhaust gasses cause a lot of air
pollution and the production of steel causes a lot of
noise.
Secondly the chemical plants emit a lot of waste products,
the remains of the conversion process. These waste
products are very bad for the environment. Waste
products produced during the conversion of iron ore into
steel are air emissions, wastewater contaminants,
hazardous wastes and solid wastes. Most of the time
these materials are just dumped or thrown away.
That can be very bad for the environment.
Hazardous materials can enter several food chains
which will cause a disorder in the lives of animals.
And finally the water that is used in this process, is
difficult to reuse. This is because of the coke and other compounds which are
added during the conversion of cast iron into steel. The products mix with the
water during this process. These are difficult to separate again from the water.
Therefore a lot of water is used every time steel has to be made of iron ore.
Conclusion
In the beginning of this report we didnt really like it. We werent
interested and motivated. But when we started writing the
report we found out that iron ore is quite interesting. Finding the
answers to the questions was sometimes difficult as we could
find a lot of information but the information wasnt always the
same. We picked the most reliable websites. We liked doing the
project and we learned a lot from it. The co-operation was very
well and we finished everything in time.
Thank you for reading!
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