Modern methods
Activity 1 : Phytomining and Bioleaching
Watch the video carefully, stopping where necessary to answer the questions below:
The Blast furnace
The blast furnace is the "original method" used for the extraction of iron from iron ore. It relies on the relative reactivity of carbon ( in coal) which reduces the iron oxide ( in iron ore) to metallic iron.
Limestone is added to react with the impurities in the ore . This decomposes and produces carbon dioxide gas.
The production of iron is not carbon neutral. Use chemical equations to explain why.
The thermit reaction is used to produce a plug of red hot iron which can be poured directly to join together two sections of rail on a railway track.
In the main reaction Iron III oxide and Aluminium react with one another. Pure iron is produced.