Extraction of metals

● Extraction of ores from the Earth’s crust

○ The earth's crust contain metals and metal compounds such as gold, iron oxide and aluminium
oxide
○ When found these are often mixed with other substances, to be useful they have to be extracted
from their ores

● Reactivity series and extraction

○ The position of the metal determines the method of extraction
○ The metals which place higher up in the series, above carbon have to be extracted using
electrolysis
○ Metals lower down the series can be extracted by heating with carbon

● Extraction of zinc
○ The ore is zinc blende (ZnS)
○ This is burned in the air to form the oxide
■ 2ZnS + 3O2 → ZnO + 3SO2
○ The oxide is heated with carbon in a furnace, where it is reduced to zinc
■ ZnO + C → Zn + CO
■ 2ZnO + C → 2Zn + CO2
○ Zinc distills out of the furnace

● Extraction of iron
○ The ore is called haematite
○ Haematite, coke (carbon) and limestone are added to a furnace
○ Carbon dioxide is formed (reaction between coke and oxygen and decomposition of limestone)
■ C + O2 → CO2
■ CaCO3 → CaO + CO2
○ Carbon dioxide gets reduced to carbon monoxide
■ CO2 + C → 2CO
○ Carbon monoxide reduces the iron oxide(haematite) to iron
■ Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2
○ The impurity in the ore is sand (silicon 4 oxide). This reacts with calcium oxide to form slag
■ CaO + SiO2 → CaSiO3 (slag)
○ Molten slag floats on molten iron which can be run off separately and used as building material

● Extraction of aluminium
○ Main ore of aluminium is called bauxite
○ It is changed to pure aluminium oxide (alumina)
○ Electrodes are made of carbon so oxygen reacts with carbon and does not form on the anodes
○ Electrolyte is molten mixture of pure aluminium oxide dissolved in cryolite
■ The point in cryolite is to lower the temperature from approximately 2000 to 900 degrees
and make the extraction more economically viable
○ Reaction at cathode
■ Al3+ + 3e- → Al
○ Reaction at anode
■ 2O2- → O2 + 4e-
 ○ The carbon anodes burn away in oxygen and is replaced periodically
● Uses of aluminium
○ Aeroplane bodies
○ Overhead power cables
○ Sauce pans
○ Food cans
○ Window frames

● Uses of copper
○ Electrical wires
○ Water pipes

● Uses of steel
○ Mild steel
■ 0.25% carbon
■ Car body panels, wires
■ Soft and malleable
○ High carbon steel
■ 0.5 - 1.4% carbon
■ Tools and chisels
■ Hard
○ Low alloy steels
■ 1-5% of other metals
■ Construction, bridges, high speed tools
■ Hard and strong, low ductility and malleability
○ Stainless steel
■ 20% chromium and 10% nickel
■ Cutlery and sinks, chemical plants
■ Strong and resistant to corrosion