Extracting iron

The blast furnace

Iron is extracted from iron ore in a huge container called a blast furnace. Iron ores such
as haematite contain iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3. The oxygen must be removed from the iron(III)
oxide in order to leave the iron behind. Reactions in which oxygen is removed are
calledreduction reactions.

Carbon is more reactive than iron, so it can displace iron from iron(III) oxide. Here are the
equations for the reaction:
Iron(III) oxide + carbon → iron + carbon dioxide
2Fe2O3(s) + 3C(s) → 4Fe(l) + 3CO2(g)
In this reaction, the iron(III) oxide is reduced to iron, and the carbon isoxidised to carbon
dioxide.
In the blast furnace, it is so hot that carbon monoxide can be used, in place of carbon, to reduce
the iron(III) oxide:
iron(III) oxide + carbon monoxide → iron + carbon dioxide
Fe2O3(s) + 3CO(s) → 2Fe(l) + 3CO2(g)

Raw materials for the reaction

Raw
Contains Function
material
Iron ore Iron(III)
(haematite) oxide A compound that contains iron
Burns in air to produce heat, and
reacts to form carbon monoxide
Coke Carbon (needed to reduce the iron oxide)
Helps to remove acidic impurities
Calcium from the iron by reacting with them
Limestone carbonate to form molten slag
Allows the coke to burn, and so
Air Oxygen produces heat

Removing impurities
The calcium carbonate in the limestone thermally decomposes to form calcium oxide.
calcium carbonate → calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g)
The calcium oxide then reacts with silica (sand) impurities in the haematite, to produce slag -
which is calcium silicate.
calcium oxide + silica → calcium silicate
CaO(s) + SiO2(s) → CaSiO3(l)
This reaction is a neutralisation reaction. Calcium oxide is basic (as it is a metal oxide) and
silica is acidic (as it is a non-metal oxide).
Fe2O3(s) + 3CO(s) → 2Fe(l) + 3CO2(g)

Raw materials for the reaction

Raw
Contains Function
material
Iron ore Iron(III)
(haematite) oxide A compound that contains iron
Burns in air to produce heat, and reacts to
form carbon monoxide (needed to reduce
Coke Carbon the iron oxide)
Helps to remove acidic impurities from
Calcium the iron by reacting with them to form
Limestone carbonate molten slag
Allows the coke to burn, and so produces
Air Oxygen heat

Removing impurities
The calcium carbonate in the limestone thermally decomposes to form calcium oxide.
calcium carbonate → calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g)
The calcium oxide then reacts with silica (sand) impurities in the haematite, to produce slag -
which is calcium silicate.
calcium oxide + silica → calcium silicate
CaO(s) + SiO2(s) → CaSiO3(l)
This reaction is a neutralisation reaction. Calcium oxide is basic (as it is a metal oxide) and
silica is acidic (as it is a non-metal oxide).

Uses of iron and aluminium

Alloys
An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements, where at least one element is a metal. Most
alloys are mixtures of two or more metals.
 For example, brass is a mixture of copper and zinc. Steel is an alloy of iron with carbon, but
other elements may also be added to change its properties.
Alloys are useful because the properties of the alloy are different from the properties of the
elements they are made from.

Layers
Alloys contain atoms of different sizes. These different sizes distort the regular arrangements of
atoms. This makes it more difficult for the layers to slide over each other, so alloys are harder
than the pure metal.

It is more difficult for layers of atoms to slide over each other in alloys
Copper, gold and aluminium are too soft for many uses. They are mixed with other metals to
make them harder for everyday use.
For example:
 brass - used in electrical fittings - is 70% copper and 30% zinc
 18-carat gold - used in jewellery - is 75% gold and 25% copper and other metals
 duralumin - used in aircraft manufacture - is 96% aluminium and 4% copper and other metals

Different steel alloys

Steel is mainly iron with some carbon in it. Changing the amount of carbon and other trace
elements changes the properties of the specific type of steel.
Contains Properties Price Uses
Less than 1%
Mild carbon (in Car bodies
steel addition to Malleable, Relatively and
iron) ductile cheap machinery
 Contains Properties Price Uses
11%
Stainless chromium (in Cutlery,
steel addition to Hard, does not Quite surgical
iron) rust expensive instruments
18% tungsten Hard, resistant
Tool
(in addition to to high Quite
steel
iron) temperatures expensive Drill bits