9.

1) The extraction of metals by carbon reduction

Iron and steel
Name of the ore …………….hematite (Fe2O3)
Steel is iron with 0.2 to 1.5 % of carbon.
Other transition elements may be found also.
The blast furnace
Main points
1) The blast furnace is lined with refractory bricks of magnesium oxide
2) The furnace is loaded with charge (iron ore + coke + limestone)
3) The charge is sintered (heated and mixed well with coke)
4) The following series of chemical reactions take place:
i) carbon burns strongly in the base of the furnace
C + 02 CO2
ii) carbon dioxide is reduced as it rises through the furnace forming
carbon monoxide
CO2 + C 2CO
iii) The iron ore is reduced by carbon monoxide forming molten iron
Fe2O3 + 3CO 2Fe + 3CO2
iv) One of the major impurities of iron ore is sand (silica SiO2).The
limestone in the charge removes this impurity
CaCO3 CaO + CO2
CaO + SiO2 CaSiO3 (calcium silicate)
This calcium silicate forms a molten layer of (slag) on the top of iron
It doesn’t mix with iron as it is less dense than iron. It is tapped off
Separately. Then it can be used by builders and road makers.
v) The gases escape from the top of the furnace so that they can be
re-used by heat exchangers to heat the incoming air.
 Steel making in tilting furnace
The iron produced by blast furnace is known as (pig iron or cast iron)
It contains about 4% carbon and other impurities (sulfur ,silicon and
phosphorous)
This amount of carbon makes the iron brittle (only is used in making large
objects)
This carbon content is burnt to carbon dioxide.
Any sulfur contamination is burnt too to sulfur dioxide.
This process is carried out in the tilting furnace.
Main points
1) Scrap steel is added to pig iron to be recycled
2) Lime is added to the furnace to react with silicon and phosphorous
forming a slag which floats on the top of molten iron.
3) The steel is removed by tilting the furnace
4) Other elements can be added (chromium, manganese , tungsten or
other transition elements) to improve the properties or to make different
types of steel.
5) The produced steel contains 0.2 to 1.5 % of carbon
These are some of the alloy steels with their uses:

The rusting of iron and its prevention

Rust is a red brown powder consisting mainly of hydrated iron (iii) oxide
Fe2O3.xH2O.
Water and oxygen ,both have to be present.
The presence of salt increases the rate of corrosion.
What about aluminium?
Methods of rust prevention.
The extraction of zinc