Iron extraction in blast furnace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Em6DR24mqQ

Being one of the most abundant of metals in the world, iron is both cheap and strong, making it one of the most used metal in many common day situations.

IRON AS ALLOYS IN SOCIETY
Although strong, iron is not that strong by itself and has to be combined with other elements and metals to be strong enough for industrial use. Iron alloys are often used in construction and in many different types as well. 

• One type of alloy is known as known as high carbon steel. This alloy contains a high percentage of carbon (1.5%) which makes the alloy very hard from high a disruption of atoms' orderly arrangement. This type of alloy is commonly used for manufacturing hammers, which are hard.
• Another kind of alloy common associated with iron is stainless steel. This alloy is high in Chromium (13%) which is resistant to corrosion. As a result, stainless steel resists rusting, and is used for cutlery and surgical equipments, to prevent any biological ailments. 
• Low carbon steel, too, is very cheap and fairly strong and hence is used mainly in structural supports in the construction industry, for virtually every kind of structure.

IRON AS COMPOUNDS IN SOCIETY
Iron-based compounds are also equally useful in modern day society. However, in contrary, such compounds are not used for construction purposes. 

• Iron sulfate, Fe2(SO4)3, another iron compound, is used to treat anemia, the abnormality of red blood cells, due to iron ion deficiency. It is also used in treating sewage particles in water tanks.
• Iron hydroxide, Fe(OH)3 is a compound that runs water purification systems employed in our everyday lives. It is very important in ensuring that the need for pure and clean water in the household is met efficiently, by neutralising acids in the water, being a base.
• There is also iron arsenate, FeAsO3, which can be found in insecticides. It makes a very significant impact in gardens by preventing most pest attacks. This comes from the pungent smell from the compound.

References: http://www.usesof.net/uses-of-iron.html
                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron#Biological_role

Collated: Extraction of Iron from its ore.

 Iron is found in many different ores, such as hematite, Fe₂O₃ , and magnetite (Fe3O4 ).
To extract the iron out of their ores, the iron ores are reduced in Blast Furnaces which are nearly 40metres high with each unit costing millions of dollars.
These furnaces are made out of steel which is line with a special refractory firebrick which can be made of Magnesium Oxide which is an ionic compound which has a high melting point, allowing it to withstand high temperatures that happen in the blast furnaces.

Iron naturally exists in ores. Iron ores are usually hematite, Fe2O3. To extract pure iron metal from hematite, several method can be used.
Electrolysis can be used to extract pure iron by passing through high voltage of electricity through hematite. Electricity will overcome the electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely iron and oxygen electrons and iron will be obtained in solid state.
However, this method is very expensive so iron, which has a large demand, is usually extracted using blast furnaces in industries and makes use of the reduction by carbon method to reduce the iron ores. Inside these blast furnaces, temperatures easily reach above 1600 degrees Celsius.

At first, a mixture of limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), coke (carbon, C) and hematite is added at the top of the blast furnace.

Then, hot air will be blasted into the blast furnace at the bottom to raise the temperature within the blast furnace.

High temperature causes carbon in coke burns in hot air to produce carbon dioxide. Since this is an exothermic process, a lot of heat will be produced.

C (s) + O2 (g)       CO2 (g)

Limestone will also be decomposed by heat to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide.

CaCO3(s)       CaO (s) + CO2 (g)

The coke will react with carbon dioxide formed previously to produce carbon monoxide. Temperatures here start to fall to 1110°C

C (s) + CO2 (g)       2CO (g)

The carbon monoxide formed reduces the hematite to form iron and carbon dioxide. Molten iron is formed and it runs to the bottom of the blast furnace. Waste gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide escape from the top of the blast furnace.

Fe2O3 (s) +3CO (g)       2Fe (l) + 3CO2 (g)

Impurities like sand will be removed using limestone.

CaCO3 (s)       CaO (s) + CO2 (g)

The basic calcium oxide will react with acidic impurities like silica to form slag which is less dense than iron and it floats on top of molten iron at the bottom. The molten slag can be tapped off at intervals. The silicon is present as acidic oxide. This will react with the calcium oxide to form calcium silicate(slag)

CaO (s) + SiO2 (s)       CaSiO3 (l)

The process of using blast furnace has a big problem: it creates waste gases like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Carbon monoxide is lethal for human body as its molecules bind with heamoglobin in red blood cells to give carboxyhaemoglobin. This causes haemoglobin unable to carrty oxygen molecules, leading to suffocation. Sulfur dioxide will react with water molecules in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid, which causes acid rains that speed up corrosions of metals on earth.

Harmful gases must be treated so that they cannot be released into the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide can be heated strongly to decompose the compound into carbon and oxygen gas. Carbon obtained can be reused as coke for extraction of iron while oxygen gas can be safely released in to the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide is an acidic gas. It can be removed by passing the gas through a column containing lumps of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate will react with sulphur dioxide to produce calcium sulphate and safe carbon dioxide gas.

Done By: Ling Zihui –Researcher on Diagrams, Iron Extraction and Processes

        Wan Xinyu- Iron Extraction and Processes

        Brendan Ng-Iron Extraction and Processes+ Minor details

        Marc- Researcher on Videos , Diagrams, Uses of Iron

Source:

http://www3.nd.edu/~geotech/blast%20furnace.jpg

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100105101641AAmlSf4

Chemistry- A Course for ‘O’level 

Iron naturally exists in ores. Iron ores are usually hematite, Fe2O3. To extract pure iron metal from hematite, several method can be used.

Electrolysis can be used to extract pure iron by passing through high voltage of electricity through hematite. Electricity will overcome the electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely iron and oxygen electrons and iron will be obtained in solid state.

However, this method is very expensive so iron, which has a large demand, is usually extracted using blast furnaces in industries.

At first, a mixture of limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), coke (carbon, C) and hematite is added at the top of the blast furnace.

Then, hot air will be blasted into the blast furnace at the bottom to raise the temperature within the blast furnace.

High temperature causes carbon in coke burns in hot air to produce carbon dioxide. Since this is an exothermic process, a lot of heat will be produced.

C (s) + O2 (g)       CO2 (g)

Limestone will also be decomposed by heat to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide.

CaCO3(s)       CaO (s) + CO2 (g)

The coke will react with carbon dioxide formed previously to produce carbon monoxide.

C (s) + CO2 (g)       2CO (g)

The carbon monoxide formed reduces the hematite to form iron and carbon dioxide. Molten iron is formed and it runs to the bottom of the blast furnace. Waste gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide escape from the top of the blast furnace.

Fe2O3 (s) +3CO (g)       2Fe (l) + 3CO2 (g)

Impurities like sand will be removed using limestone.

CaCO3 (s)       CaO (s) + CO2 (g)

The basic calcium oxide will react with acidic impurities like silica to form slag which is less dense than iron and it floats on top of molten iron at the bottom. The molten slag can be tapped off at intervals.

CaO (s) + SiO2 (s)       CaSiO3 (l)

The process of using blast furnace has a big problem: it creates waste gases like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Carbon monoxide is lethal for human body as its molecules bind with heamoglobin in red blood cells to give carboxyhaemoglobin. This causes haemoglobin unable to carrty oxygen molecules, leading to suffocation. Sulfur dioxide will react with water molecules in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid, which causes acid rains that speed up corrosions of metals on earth.

Harmful gases must be treated so that they cannot be released into the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide can be heated strongly to decompose the compound into carbon and oxygen gas. Carbon obtained can be reused as coke for extraction of iron while oxygen gas can be safely released in to the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide is an acidic gas. It can be removed by passing the gas through a column containing lumps of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate will react with sulphur dioxide to produce calcium sulphate and safe carbon dioxide gas.

 

 

 

Source:

http://www3.nd.edu/~geotech/blast%20furnace.jpg

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100105101641AAmlSf4

IRON EXTRACTION

Extraction of iron

Main type of iron ore is haematite which contains iron(III)oxide. mixed with impurities such as sand and clay. Iron is extracted from haematite in a blast furnace. Haematite, coke and limestone are added at the top of the blast furnace. Blasts of hot air are blown into the furnace near the bottom.

carbon dioxide is produced:

carbon monoxide is produced

The carbon monoxide reduces the iron in the ore to give molten iron:

The limestone from 2, reacts with the sand to form slag (calcium silicate):

Both slag and molten iron runs to the bottom of the furnace. Hot waste gases containing carbon monoxide  carbon dioxide and nitrogen escape through the top of the furnace.

Iron ore contains the impurities sand and clay, which are silicon oxide.Limestone is added to removes these impurities

calcium oxide + silicon(Iv)oxide ------->calcium silicate (slag)

The lighter slag float on top of molten iron and is tapped off separately from the iron. solidified slag is used for road surfacing.

picture:

blast furnace:http://scienceaid.co.uk/chemistry/applied/blastfurnace.html

 equation:http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/chemistry/extraction-of-metals/revise-it/the-blast-furnace