Iron how is it obtained

Carbon is more reactive than iron, so it can displace iron from iron III oxide. Here are the equations for the reaction:. In this reaction, the iron III oxide is reduced to iron, and the carbon is oxidised to carbon dioxide. In the blast furnace, it is so hot that carbon monoxide can be used, in place of carbon, to reduce the iron III oxide:.

The calcium carbonate in the limestone thermally decomposes to form calcium oxide. The calcium oxide then reacts with silica sand impurities in the haematite, to produce slag - which is calcium silicate.

Stainless steel, which contains at least It is used in kitchen cutlery, appliances and cookware such as stainless steel pans and skillets. The addition of other elements can provide steel with other useful qualities. For instance, nickel increases its durability and makes it more resistant to heat and acids; manganese makes it more durable, whereas tungsten helps it maintain hardness at high temperatures, according to Jefferson Lab.

Archeologists estimate that people have been using iron for more than 5, years, according to Jefferson Lab. In fact, it turns out that some of the most ancient iron known to humans literally fell from the sky. In a study published in in the Journal of Archeological Science, researchers examined ancient Egyptian iron beads that date to around B.

Iron is mostly obtained from minerals hematite and magnetite. In smaller degrees, it can also be obtained from the minerals taconite, limonite and siderite, according to Jefferson Lab. Iron has four different allotropic forms, which means that it has four different structural forms in which atoms bond in different patterns, according to Los Alamos National Laboratory. Those forms are called ferrites, known as alpha which is magnetic , beta, gamma and omega. Iron is an important nutrient in our diet.

Iron deficiency, the most common nutritional deficiency, can cause anemia and fatigue that affects the ability to perform physical work in adults. It can also impair memory and other mental function in teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since coal was abundant in the British Isles, Darby's technique insured a constant supply of coal for the conversion of iron ores to the pure metal. Some blast furnaces are as tall as story buildings and can produce 2, tons of iron per day.

Inside a blast furnace, a number of chemical reactions occur. One of these involves the reaction between coke nearly pure carbon with oxygen to form carbon monoxide. This carbon monoxide then reacts with iron ore to form pure iron and carbon dioxide. Limestone is added to the reaction mixture to remove impurities in the iron ore. The product of this reaction, known as slag, consists primarily of calcium silicate.

The iron formed in a blast furnace exists in a molten form known as pig iron that can be drawn off at the bottom of the furnace. The slag is also molten but less dense than the iron. It is drawn off from taps just above the outlet from which the molten iron is removed. Efforts to use pig iron for commercial and industrial applications were not very successful.