EXTRACTION OF IRON EXAM QUESTION

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Welcome to this uh platform. So today's chemistry lesson, we're going to revise uh a question coming from the topic metals. Now when you talk of metals, there are quite a lot of things that you need to understand. But one part that you shouldn't miss is the part on extraction of metals. Now at this point you should know extraction of metals in terms of extraction of zinc, extraction of aluminium, extraction of copper as well as the extraction of iron. So in this one we are going to focus on one extraction and that is extraction of what? Extraction of ion as a question right here. So we are going to go through the part using a question. So the question reads here ion is extracted from its O in the blast furnace. Ion is extracted from its O in the blast furnace. Now let us understand a thing here. So one way that you are going to understand is the O. So you know that uh these metals such as iron they are not found in the free state but instead they are found attached to the rocks. So the rock that contain ion here is known as the O or the rock that contain a metal is known as the O. Now there are different O's of ion or rocks that contain iron but we have the principal O and in this case the principal O that we use in our extraction is known as hematite. So hematide is the principal O and for the chemical formula is simply ion um ion 3 oxide or iron oxide that is the principal O. So it's the one that we are going to use in our extraction process. Now when you talk of extraction we are just looking at as you can see here this is not pure. So we need to obtain the pure ion which is simply Fe.

[00:01:46]So what do we do to obtain the pure? So that is what we follow as in the process of extraction. Okay. So in the whole process of extraction of ion there are stages or there are steps that are followed. Actually this is an exam question that we are going to answer.

[00:02:03]But let me just explain a bit. So there are about three reactions which are important that we need to understand for us to come to the extraction of what?

[00:02:11]Extraction of ion. So in the blast furnace here what is happening? The first reaction that occurs is that of So the first reaction that occurs is that of carbon reacting with oxygen and this produces what? Carbon dioxide. So this hot air that is blown in it contain oxygen. Now I should have mentioned also or let me just put a let me just explain also where this carbon is coming from.

[00:02:40]So hot air is blown here and this hot air contain what? Oxygen. Now when you are extracting ion there are three things that you put in the what in the blast furnace and these are collectively known as what charge. So sometimes you find uh let's say name two component of what of charge. So what you put there on top is collectively called what?

[00:03:03]Collectively called charge. So what does this charge contain? So when you look at charge it contain coke which is some form of carbon. So coke which is some form of carbon or impure carbon. Then it also contain hematite which is ion to oxide or iron oxide. Then it also contain calcium carbonate. So these are the things that you load in the blast furnace as you start the process of purification. So this carbon in the charge react with hot air that is blown in and of course it forms what? Carbon dioxide. Now this is a gas carbon dioxide. So carbon dioxide as it tried to escape up there more carbon react with carbon dioxide. So here carbon dioxide react with more carbon and it is reduced to or it result into the formation of what? Carbon monoxide. Now one thing that you should understand that in all these extractions in all these extractions there's need for a reducing agent. Okay there's need for reducing agent. So the whole this process result into the formation of a strong reducing agent. You know that carbon also a reducing agent where we are coming from in terms of extraction of zinc. But here it cannot be used as a reducing agent. Instead we need a more powerful reducing agent. In this case we are going to use what? Carbon monoxide.

[00:04:31]So sometimes you find a question explain how a reducing agent is formed. So a reducing agent is formed when the uh when the hot air or when the hot air is blown in and that oxygen react with the carbon result into the formation of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide react with more carbon resulting to carbon monoxide. And I should have mentioned that this first reaction is highly exothermic which means it increases the temperature of the blast furnace. And for reaction to be more effective, we need the high temperature in the blast furnace. Okay, so that is what happens.

[00:05:11]So the first reaction is actually this one. Then the second reaction is actually this one. And finally we have the reducing aren. So it's a time now it's a time now we look at the other reaction that happened. So the iron oxide now react and react with the powerful reducing agent. So we going to find ion now that is ion reacting with a reducing agent which is carbon monoxide. This itself result into the formation of ion then plus what?

[00:05:49]Plus carbon dioxide. So result into the formation of what? Carbon dioxide. If I to balance this equation, it's going to be like this. Also on carbon monoxide, we add a three. I guess this is balanced. So please this first part is ion oxide. Okay. So ion react with carbon monoxide result in two ion and of course what? Carbon dioxide. Okay. I guess up to this point we are together. Now look at let us look at if it's balanced. So ion is two here. Ion 2 carbon 3 carbon 3 there oxygen that is six oxygen 6 there.

[00:06:34]So this is a reaction that occurs. So the first part is the formation of a reducing agent. That reducing agent which is carbon monoxide react with the ion and that is iron oxide resulting to uh the pure ion and of course carbon dioxide is produced. Okay. So these are the most important reactions that happen in extraction of iron. And I guess up to this point you've gotten uh something.

[00:07:03]Now you know that this is coming from is uh coming from is a rock that contain that iron which means it has some dust.

[00:07:13]So there's a way also that we need to remove the what we need to remove uh the dust that is produced. Now when you talk of dust in the case of uh chemistry is called silicon dioxide. So how do you remove this silicon dioxide into the blast furnace? Remember on top there in terms of a charge at least we know the use of two of each or how these two are used. So carbon or impure cork result into the formation of the reducing agent which is carbon monoxide. Then of course ion which is hematite is reduced or iron oxide which is hematite is reduced into ion. What about calcium carbonate? What is the function of or what is the use of calcium carbonate? So calcium carbonate in that in that or in the blast furnace is reduced or decomposed or yeah it's composed into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide. Okay. So let us focus on calcium oxide. So this one is decomposed in calcium oxide and calcium I mean carbon dioxide. So it is the calcium carbon I mean calcium oxide now that react with calcium I mean that react with silicon dioxide and this one result into the formation of what calcium silicate. This calcium silicate is the slag. the calcium silicate is slag.

[00:08:47]Okay. So this is how this calcium carbonate or lime limestone is used in this case. Okay. So now if you are to look at the whole diagram the whole the diagram okay the whole diagram you have the first part here down here you have this molten slag coming out then iron at the bottom. ion is denser than molten uh that is molten slag.

[00:09:16]So it is collected at the bottom. Now this is happening at high temperature.

[00:09:20]So expect it to be in molten state.

[00:09:23]Okay. So basically these are the things that we need to look at. So what is blown in is hot air and this hot air is what? Oxygen. Then of course the waste gases comes out that way. So the waste gas, one of the waste gas or waste gas that comes out is what? Carbon dioxide.

[00:09:43]I don't know up to this point if you've gotten uh a thing. Okay, if you've gotten a thing up to uh this point. Now let us look at the questions that we have. This I was just explaining in terms of just to give you an overview of the whole topic. Uh let us look at the question. I guess most of the questions I've answered them just from what I've explained. So cork and material X and Y are feed into the blast furnace. Name the material X and Y. So I said for that material that is fed into this. We have calcium, we have calcium carbonate, ion oxide and carbon. Okay. Now they are saying coke and this. So what is X and Y? So X in this case we can put ion or hematite ion 2 oxide I mean ion 3 oxide then of course why we can put what calcium calcium what calcium carbonate.

[00:10:49]So just write them in words.

[00:10:51]Okay then what is the other thing that we can look at here? What is the use of the waste gases? What is the use of the waste gases? So the use of the waste gases here if I saying the waste gas is carbon dioxide it can be used in a fire extinguishers. So used in fire what extinguishers. Okay to extinguish fire.

[00:11:17]And that is because carbon dioxide is denser than uh denser than what? Denser than air. and also can be used uh at industrial level just to make carbonated drinks.

[00:11:28]What is that? We are on question C. What is the reducing agent in this extraction? So the reducing agent is carbon monoxide. Reducing agent is what?

[00:11:38]Carbon monoxide.

[00:11:41]Then describe how the reducing agent is produced. So the reducing agent is produced when carbon react with oxygen and further react with carbon dioxide.

[00:11:52]Oh I'm saying carbon react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and further it react with that is carbon dioxide further react with carbon or more carbon to form carbon monoxide. So that is the whole process how the reducing agent is produced because we are saying the reducing agent in this case is carbon monoxide. So be able to uh put it there.

[00:12:14]Now what is the purpose of each of the following? Hot air. So what is the purpose of hot air? Hot air react with what? React with um carbon react with carbon to form carbon dioxide. Now the main purpose would say to increase the temperature of the what the blast furnace because the whole process is highly exothermic. So increases the temperature of the blast furnace. But what would be the explanation? What do you think is the purpose of hot air? Okay. Then coke coke what is the function of coke forms the power of reducing agent? forms the reducing agent. So it forms a reducing agent.

[00:13:08]What is the reducing agent? Carbon monoxide. So when it react with uh when it react with when carbon dioxide react with more carbon it result into the reducing agent. Okay. So forms the what? To form the what? The reducing agent. to form the reducing agent. Show how the balance equation in which ion is extracted from the O. Show the balance uh equation. So, show the balance equation in which ion is extracted from ion. I think I've written the balance equation for the reaction. So, it's right here. So ion three oxide plus 3 carbon monoxide produces two ion. So this one produces what? Produces two ion plus three carbon dioxide. So these are not supposed to be there. So this is the equation. Okay. So this is how you answer such a question.

[00:14:15]So of course if there's something left out here that you'd want to contribute be able to do that. But in addition to that the other question that you might or the other thing that you need to know that is on the decomposition of calcium carbonate right here to calcium oxide and carbon dioxide. This process is endothermic which means it absorbs heat.

[00:14:41]So there's no need or there's uh it's not allowed to continuously add calcium carbonate to the furnace because it might reduce the temperature. This one works effectively with a high temperature. So continuous addition of this reduces the temperature of the blast furnace. So continuous addition of calcium carbonate is not allowed for that uh reason.

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