Name: Methods of Prevention from Corrosion
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 5 min 3 s
Description: Do you know how corrosion can be prevented? There are various methods such as coating with paint or plastic, oiling, alloying, galvanising and enamelling. Le...

Question

Explain the process of extraction of iron from Haematite with the help of a labelled diagram.

Accepted Answer

Iron is usually extracted from its chief ore, haematite $({Fe}_{2} O_{3})$ . The various steps involved in the production of iron metal from haematite are as follows:

1. Concentration of ore: The concentration of the ore is done by hydraulic washing. The ore is split into small pieces and then washed in a stream of water to remove sand, clay and other impurities.

2. Calcination: The washed iron ore is then strongly heated in the absence of air to expel water or other volatile substances sticking to it.

3. Reduction: The washed and dried calcined ore is then mixed with coke and limestone and put into a blast furnace from the top. A blast of hot air is blown into the furnace from near its bottom. This air supplied helps in the burning of coke. Near the bottom of the furnace, coke burns in the air to form carbon dioxide and a lot of heat is produced

$C (s) + O_{2} (g) \to {CO}_{2} (g) + Heat$
In the centre of the furnace, carbon dioxide reacts with white-hot coke to form carbon monoxide.

${CO}_{2} (g) + C (s) \to 2 CO (g)$ )

In the upper part of the furnace, carbon monoxide reduces iron oxide to iron metal.

${Fe}_{2} O_{3} (s) + 3 CO (g) \to 2 Fe (l) + 3 {CO}_{2} (g)$
Iron metal is produced as a grey solid which melts as it comes down in the furnace where the temperature is very high. Molten iron collects at the bottom of the furnace.

The silicate impurity of the ore is removed as slag by calcium oxide( $CaO$ ), which is formed by the decomposition of limestone ( ${CaCO}_{3}$ ).

${CaCO}_{3} \overset{∆}{\to} CaO + {CO}_{2}$

$CaO + {SiO}_{2} \to \underset{slag}{{CaSiO}_{3}}$

The labelled diagram of extraction of iron from haematite is given below:

Explain the process of extraction of iron from Haematite with the help of a labelled diagram.

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