PRINCIPLES OF METALLURGY · Metals like gold(Au), silver(Ag) and copper(Cu) are available in nature in free state as they are least reactive. Other metals mostly are found in nature in the combined form due to their high reactivity. · The elements or compounds of the metals which occur in nature in the earth crust are called minerals. · The minerals from which the metals are extracted without economical loss are called ores. · The ores of many metals are oxides sulphides, chlorides and carbonates. Ex: Oxide Ores : Al2O3.2H2O.; ZNO, Fe3O4 Chloride Ores: NaCl, AgCl, KCl, MgCl2.6H2O Sulphide Ores: ZnS, HgS, CuFeS Carbonate Ores: MgCO3, CaCO3 Reactivity of metals Based on reactivity we can arrange metals in descending order of their reactivity as shown below: · Decreasing order of High reactivity metals : K, Na, Ca,Mg,Al · Decreasing order of Moderate reactivity metals : Zn, Fe,Pb,Cu · Decreasing order Low reactivity metals : Hg, Ag, Pt, Au
Extraction of metals from the ores:
Extraction of a metal from its ore involves mainly three stages.They are 1. Concentration or dressing of the ore. 2. Extraction of crude metal from the ore. 3. Refining or purification of the metal. 1. Concentration or dressing of the ore: Ores contain large amount of impurities. The impurities like sand and clay are called gangue. Dressing of the ore means removing unwanted material like gangue from the ore.The physical methods adopted in dressing of the ore are: Hand picking :This method is used if the ore particles and impurities are different in one of the properties like colour,size, etc.The ore particles are handpicked and separated from impurities. Washing: This method is used when ore particles are more denser than impurities.Ore particles are crushed and kept on a slopy surface.They are washed with controlled flow of water. Less dense impurities are washed away by water flow. Ore particles are left behind on the slope. 84 Froth flotation: Froth bubbles carrying sulphide This method is used for sulphide Ores which ore particles Compressed have no wetting property whereas the Air impurities get wetted. Water containing pine Sulphide ore oil is taken in flotation cell.The ore with particles impurities is finely powdered and kept in flotation cell. Air under pressure is blown to Water containing produce froth in water. Froth so produced, pine oil takes ore particles to the surface whereas Gangue impurities settle at the bottom. Froth is separated and washed to get ore particles. Powdered ore Magnetic separation: Magnetic This method is used if either ore or impurity wheel Non is a magnetic substance.The impurities are Magnetic wheel separated using electromagnetic wheel as Moving belt shown in figure.
Non Magnetic ore Magnetic ore
2. Extraction of crude metal from the ore:
Extraction of the metal from its Ore depends on the reactivity of the metal. A) Extraction of metals at the top of the activity series: · The ores of highly reactive metals like K,Na,Ca,Mg and Al cannot be reduced by simple chemical methods as they need very high temperatures. · Again electrolysis of their aqueous solutions also is not feasible because water in the solution would be discharged at the cathode in preference to the metal ions. · The only method available is electrolysis of their fused compounds. · In this method, fused metal compound is used as electrolyte. Graphite rod is used as anode and steel rod is used as cathode. A large quantity of electricity is passed to keep the ore in molten state. · Example: On electrolysis of molten NaCl , sodium metal Is deposited at cathode and chlorine will be liberated at anode. B) Extraction of metals in the middle of the activity series: · The ores of Zn, Fe, Sn, Pb and Cu metals are generally present as sulphides or carbonates in nature. Sulphide ores are roasted to convert them into oxides before reducing them to metal. · The metal oxides can be reduced to the corresponding metal by using reducing agents such as carbon or carbon monoxide. · The metals can be obtained by the reaction of metal oxides with highly reactive metals such sodium, calcium, aluminium etc. These displacement reactions are highly exothermic. The amount of heat evolved is so large that the metals produced are in molten state.
85 · The reaction of iron oxide(Fe2O3) with aluminium produces molten iron which is used to join railings of railway tracks or cracked machine parts. Fe2O3 + 2 Al ——-> 2Fe + Al2O3 +heat. This reaction is known as thermite reaction. C) Extraction of metals at the bottom of the activity series: · Metals at the bottom of the activity series are often found in free state. Their reactivity with other atoms is very low. The oxides of these metals can be reduced to metals by heat alone and sometimes by displacement from their aqueous solutions. 3. Refining or purification of the metal: · The process of obtaining the pure metal from the impure metal is called refining of the metal. Some refining methods are: a) Distillation: On distillation, low boiling metals like zinc and mercury can be separated from high boiling impurities. The pure metal is obtained as distillate. b) Poling: · The molten metal is stirred with logs(poles) of green wood. The impurities are removed either as gases or they get oxidized and form scum over the surface of the molten metal. Blister copper is purified by this method. c) Liquation: · In this method a low melting metal like tin can be made to flow on a slopy surface to separate it from high melting impurities. d) Electrolytic refining: · In this method, the impure metal is used as anode,pure metal is used as cathode and soluble salt of the same metal is used as electrolyte. · On electrolysis,the required metal gets deposited on the cathode in the pure form. Using this method, pure copper can be obtained from blister copper. Corrosion: · The rusting of iron, tarnishing of silver, development of green coating on copper and bronze are some of the examples of corrosion. To investigate the conditions under which Iron rusts. Aim: To investigate the conditions under which Iron rusts. Material required: Test tubes, clean Iron nails, distilled water, oil, anhydrous calcium chloride. Procedure: · Take three test tubes and place clean Iron nails in each of them.
86 · Label these test tubes as A, B and C. · Pour some water in test tube A and cork it. · Pour boiled distilled water in test tube B, add about Air Air Dry 1 ml of oil and cork it.The oil will float on water and B C air A Layer prevent the air from dissolving in the water. of oil
· Put some anhydrous calcium chloride in test tube C Rusty
ir on and cork it. Anhydrous calcium chloride will absorb nails the moisture, if any,from the air. Water · Leave these test tubes for a few days and then observe. Observations: Boiled Anhydrous distilled water calcium chloride · Iron nails get rust in test tube A. · Iron nails do not get rust in test tubes B and C Analysis: · In test tube A, the nails are exposed to both air and water. · In test tube B, the nails are exposed to only water. · In test tube C, the nails are exposed to dry air . Result : Corrosion of iron (commonly known as rusting) occurs in the presence of water and air. Precautions: Clean Iron nails without any rust should be taken. Methods to prevent Corrosion: · Corrosion can be prevented by · Painting the surface of metals · Oiling or greasing the surface. · Galvanization. · Electroplating · Alloying A few important processes used in Metallurgy: Smelting: Smelting is a pyrochemical process, in which the ore mixed with flux and fuel is strongly heated. The product obtained is a molten metal.The smelting is carried out in blast furnace. Flux: Flux is a substance added to the ore to remove the gangue from it .The impurities(gangue) in the ore react with flux and form slag which is removed.If the gangue is acidic substance,flux used will be basic substance. Roasting: Roasting is a process of heating the ore strongly in free supply of air or oxygen. Calcination: Calcination is a process of heating the ore strongly in the absence of air or oxygen. FURNACE: Furnace is the one which is used to carry out pyrochemical processes in metallurgy. We have mainly three parts in a furnace known as hearth, chimney and fire box.
87 ASSESSMENT
Very Short Answer Questions
1. Why do metals like gold, silver are used in making ornaments? 2. Write the physical methods followed for concentration of ore. 3. Arrange the metals copper(Cu), Gold(Au), Zinc(Zn), Alluminium(Al) and Sodum(Na) in descending order of their reactivity. 4. Write the chemical equation showing the thermite reaction. 5. Suggest any two methods to prevent corrosion of metals in daily life. 6. Guess and write what happens if there is no oxidation in nature.
Short Answer Questions
7. Classify the given ores into oxides and sulphides. Bauxite (Al2O3), Zinc blende (ZnS), Haematite (Fe2O3) Cinnabar(HgS). 8. Differentiate roasting and calcination of ores. 9. Which method do we adopt for extraction of high reactivity metals? Explain.
Essay Type Questions
10. Write experimental procedure to prove that air and water are required for corrosion of metal. 11. Explain the methods of extraction of metals with different reactivities from their ores. 12. Express the process of froth flotation with neat diagram 13. Draw the diagram of magnetic seperation method and lebel it
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The impurity present in the ore is called as ( ) A) gangue. B) flux C) slag. D) mineral 2. The oil used in the froth flotation process is ( ) A) kerosene oil B) pine oil C) coconut oil D) olive oil 3. The metal that occurs in the native form is ( ) A) Pb B) Au C) Fe D) Hg 4. The most abundant metal in the earth’s crust is ( ) A) Silver B) Aluminium C) Zinc D) Iron 5. The reducing agent in thermite process is ( ) A) Al B) Mg C) Fe. D) Si 6. Blister copper is purified using ( ) A) Distillation B) Liquation C) Electrolytic refining D) Magnetic separation.
