Index

• Chromatography
• Common experiments operations
• Tests for ions and gases
• Extraction of metals
• Electrical chemistry
• Haber process
• Contact process
• Carbon cycle
• Purification of water
• Addition reaction
• Substituion reaction
• Methods to produce ethanol
• Cracking of organic compounds
• Fractional distillation of petrol
• Polymerization

Extraction of metals

Extraction of iron

• The reason why we use blast furnace to extract iron is that carbon is more reactive than iron
• The ores of iron are mainly haematite and magnetite
• The ore we usually use in blast furnace is haematite which mainly consists of iron(III) oxide
• Limestone is used to provide carbon dioxide and to react with sand to form slag

Extraction of aluminium

• The reason why we use electrolysis to extract aluminium is that aluminium is more reactive than carbon
• Oxygen will form at anode, thus the carbon anode will be replaced regularly since it will react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide
• Aluminium forms at cathode
• In industrial application, bauxite will be mixed with cryolite to lower its melting point and increase its ability to conduct electricity

Extraction of zinc

• Since the reactivity of zinc is very similar to that of carbon, we can use both electrolysis and carbon to extract zinc
• We roast zinc blende in the air, which will form zinc oxide and sulphur dioxide
• Then, we can use either carbon or carbon monoxide to reduce zinc oxider to form zinc