EXTRACTION OF IRON ORE

The various steps involved in the extraction of iron

metal from its ore :
1. Concentration of ore:- The iron ore is split into
small pieces about 2 centimeter in size and then
washed with water to remove sand clay etc. In
this way a fairly concentrated ore is obtained
and usually there is no need of any further
concentration.
2. Calcinations :- The washed iron ore is then
strongly heated in the absence of air to expel
water sticking to it.
3. Reduction :- The iron oxide ore is 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 . The air is to
supply oxygen for the burning coke.
The chemical reaction which take
place in the blast furnace leading to the formation of
iron metal and removal of silicon dioxide impurity are
as follows:
 (a) Coke present in blast furnace burns in
insufficient air to form carbon monoxide .
2C + O2 → 2CO
Carbon Oxygen Carbon
monoxide
(From Coke) (From air blast) (Reducing
agent)
(b) Carbon monoxide reduces iron (Ш) oxide to
iron metal:
Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe +
3CO2
Iron (Ш) oxide Carbon Iron
Carbon
(From haematite) monoxide metal
dioxide
(Reducing agent)
The iron metal formed in blast furnace is in the
molten state.
The molten iron collects at the bottom of the blast
furnace . It is removed as required .
(c) Due to intense heat in the blast furnace , the
limestone decomposes to form
Calcium oxide and carbon dioxide:
 Heat
CaCO3 → CaO +
CO2↑
Calcium carbonate Calcium oxide
Carbon dioxide
(Limestone)
(d) this calcium oxide reacts with silicon dioxide
(sand) present as impurity in the ore to form
liquid calcium silicate called slag:
CaO + SiO2 → CaSiO3
Calcium oxide Silicon dioxide
Calcium silicate
(Sand)
(Slag)
The molten calcium silicate slag , being lighter than
iron , floats on the surface of molten iron in the blast
furnace , and can be easily removed . Thus , silicon
dioxide
( sand ) present as impurity in the iron ore is
removed in the form for liquid
Calcium silicate slag . It should be noted that
the formation of calcium silicate slag not only
removes the unwanted silicon dioxide ( or sand )
present as impurity in the iron ore , the calcium
silicate slag also prevents the oxidation of
Freshly prepared molten iron by keeping it away from
oxygen of air by forming a layer on the surface of
molten iron . If there were no layer of molten calcium
silicate slag on it then the freshly prepared iron
would have undergone oxidation to form iron oxide.
(IV) Refining : The impure iron is refined by
the method of oxidative refining.