Extraction of Iron Ore

943 Words4 Pages
EXTRACTION OF IRON ORE 1) Identify the origin of the ore? Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, deep purple, to rusty red. Iron is very reactive and is found in nature in the form of its oxides, carbonates and sulfates. The main ores are: * Magnetite (Fe3O4) * Haematite (Fe2O3) - This is the main iron ore * Goethite (FeO(OH)) * Limonite (FeO(OH).n(H2O)) * Siderite (FeCO3). Metals are obtained from their ores by reduction. 2) Explain in detail how the ore is broken down and its components. List the method and properties used in the separation- The extraction of iron is based on the reduction of Haematite (Fe2O3) with Carbon. The process of extraction is carried out by the following steps: 1. Concentration of Ore 2. Calcination or Roasting of Ore 3. Reduction of Ore Step 1: Concentration The Ore is crushed in crushers and is broken into small pieces. It is concentrated with gravity separation process in which it is washed with water to remove impurities such as clay, sand and soil. Step 2: Calcination: The concentrated ore is now heated in the absence of air. The process of roasting is performed to remove moisture, CO2, impurities of sulphur, arsenic. This results in the decomposition of carbonates into oxides and then ferrous oxide is converted into ferric oxide. Step 3: Reduction Since iron is below Carbon in the reactivity series, iron in the ore is reduced to iron metal by heating with carbon (coke). The process of reduction is carried out in a blast furnace. The concentrated ore is mixed with a calculated quantity of coke, limestione and the mixture is put in the Blast Furnace from the top. The blast furnace is a cylindrical tower like structure about 25-35

More about Extraction of Iron Ore

Open Document