Extraction of Metals

May 6, 2024

L1 – Reactivity series (2.22-2.24)

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

We are learning about the reactivity series and how to

KEYWORDS: Metals; ores;
extract metals reactivity; unreactive

Starter: Matching activity next slide.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

3/4 I can use the reactivity series to comment on the process of metal extraction (3/4)
5/6 I can briefly describe the process of metal extraction using the correct scientific
terminology (5/6)
7/8 I can explain in detail how Aluminium is extracted from its ore (7/8)
Starter:

Match the key word to the correct definition

 DISCUSS: What is meant by the keyword ore?
How do you think that links in with our title for today’s lesson
“Extracting Metals”?
 What is an ore?
The materials that make everything we use originally came from natural resources
in the Earth’s crust, atmosphere, or oceans. Natural resources act as raw
materials for making millions of products.
Many of the materials we use are metals. Most metals are found joined with other
elements in compounds. A few metals, such as gold, are found on their own.
Naturally occurring metals, and their compounds, are called minerals.

Iron ore
State the meaning of the keyword ore
An ore is a naturally occurring rock
that contains enough of a mineral to
make it worth getting the mineral –
and then the metal it includes – out of
the rock.
 How are metals extracted from ores?
The extraction of a metal is the separation of the
metal from its compounds.
For example, there are two main stages in
extracting iron from its ore. These are:
1. Separate iron oxide from the compounds it is
mixed with.
2. Use chemical reactions to extract iron from
iron oxide.
The chemical reactions involve heating iron oxide
with charcoal. Charcoal is a form of carbon. It is
cheap, and easy to get hold of.
Describe two stages in extracting a metal from its ore.
CHALLENGE: Explain why iron oxide is heated with carbon.
EXTRACTION METHODS The method chosen for the extraction of a metal
depends on the reactivity of the metal.
Potassium
Sodium
Calcium Aluminium is ABOVE CARBON, so you
Magnesium cannot use carbon to get aluminium from
Aluminium aluminium oxide. Aluminium is more reactive
Carbon
than carbon. It is extracted from its ore by
ELECTROLYSIS.
Zinc
Iron
Tin Metals BELOW CARBON are extracted by
Lead heating them with carbon (Blast Furnace)
Copper
Silver These metals exist as the element itself. They
Gold do not form compounds because they are very
Platinum unreactive. They just need separating from the
substances it is mixed with by physical methods.
 Which metal oxides react with carbon?
Carbon is a non-metal. But we can place it in the
reactivity series, between aluminium and zinc.
Any metal that is below carbon in the reactivity
series can be displaced from its compounds by
carbon.
For example, you can heat carbon powder with
copper oxide powder. Carbon displaces copper
from copper oxide:
Carbon + copper oxide → copper + carbon dioxide
C(s) + 2CuO(s) → 2Cu(s) + CO2(g)
Carbon + lead oxide →
lead + carbon dioxide
C(s) + 2PbO(s) → 2Pb(s) + CO2(g)
Recall basic understanding of the use of reactivity series and develop your
automaticity and accuracy by writing these equations.

Bonus: Try writing balanced chemical equations using state symbols

 QUICK CHECK QUESTIONS
1. What is meant by an ore?

2. In what form are metals usually found in the Earth’s crust?

3. How do you extract iron from its ore?

CHALLENGE: Complete the following table

Type of metal Extraction process Examples

High reactivity (above
carbon)
Middle reactivity (below
carbon)
Low reactivity
 ANSWERS:
1. A rock that you can extract a metal from is called an ore.
2. In the Earth’s crust, metals are joined to other elements, in compounds. In many of these
compounds the metal is joined to oxygen. These are called metal oxides. Most metal oxides
are mixed with other compounds in rock.
3. There are two main stages in extracting iron from its ore. These are:
1. Separate iron oxide from the compounds it is mixed with.
2. Use chemical reactions to extract iron from iron oxide.
The chemical reactions involve heating iron oxide with charcoal. Charcoal is a form of carbon.

Type of metal Extraction process Examples

High reactivity (above carbon) Electrolysis Alumininium
Middle reactivity (below Heating with carbon Iron
carbon)
Low reactivity Found in native state, separated from Gold
mixture of substances
Challenge Question: Identify a metal extraction Challenge Question: Identify a metal extraction
process, given appropriate information process, given appropriate information
Challenge Question: Identify a metal extraction process, given appropriate information
 Extraction of Iron
• A blast furnace is an industrial reactor that is used to extract iron from its ore (called haematite).
The extraction of iron from its ore uses the principle of reduction reactions. Oxygen is removed
from iron using the more reactive carbon.
Extraction of Iron from its ore (blast furnace) - Extension
1. Add the raw material (also called charge): Iron ore (haematite - often
contains sand with iron oxide, Fe2O3); Limestone (calcium carbonate –
CaCO3); Coke - mainly carbon
2. Oxygen in the air reacts with coke to give carbon dioxide:
(oxidation- combustion) heats the blast furnace
C(s) + O 2(g)  CO2(g)
3. The limestone breaks down to form carbon dioxide:
(Thermal decomposition)
CaCO3(s)  CO2 (g) + CaO(s)

4. Carbon dioxide produced in 1 + 2 react with more coke to produce

carbon monoxide:
CO2(g) + C(s)  2CO(g)
5. The carbon monoxide reduces the iron in the ore to give molten
iron: (Redox)
3CO(g) + Fe2O3(s)  2Fe(l) + 3CO2(g)
6. The limestone from 2, reacts with the sand to form slag (calcium
silicate):
Commonly asked in exam as a redox
reaction CaO(s) + SiO2(s)  CaSiO3(l)
 Electrolysis

• Metals higher in the reactivity series than carbon must

be extracted using a more powerful method. Electricity
is run through a molten ionic compound to decompose it
into its elements.

Aluminium is produced by
• Extension Question: electrolysis of aluminium oxide,
found in an ore called bauxite.
Electrolysis is very expensive. Why do you think this is?
Aluminium

• Aluminium is one of the most useful metals in the world.

• Bauxite has a very high melting point (2050 °C) and so is dissolved in cryolite
(Na3AlF6) to reduce it to 700 °C.

Challenge: How does dissolving bauxite in cryolite make the production of

aluminium cheaper?
Extraction of aluminium

A bauxite
Graphite / cryolite
anodes mixture
are inserted into is melted
the molteninelectrolyte
a steel container
ready for
electrolysis.
containing a carbon lining.

Graphite (carbon) anodes

Tank
lined
with
carbon
cathode
Steel
case

Molten electrolyte
Bauxite (Aluminium
ore) + cryolite
Extraction of aluminium: overall

Anode (+ electrode)
2O2-(l)  O2(g) + 4e-

Vented cover

Molten
Graphite / carbon anodes
aluminium
out Tank
lined
with
carbon
Steel cathode
case

Molten electrolyte
Cathode (- electrode) Molten aluminium bauxite + cryolite (to decrease the
Al3+(l) + 3e-  Al(l) temperature of bauxite)
Plenary:

1. Name 2 metals that can be extracted form their ores by electrolysis.

2. Zinc can be extracted from zinc oxide (ZnO) by heating with carbon, write the
word equation for this reaction.

3. Why is electrolysis not used to extract zinc?

Plenary - Answers

1. Name 2 metals that can be extracted form their ores by electrolysis. K, Na, Ca, Mg
and Al.

2. Zinc can be extracted from zinc oxide (ZnO) by heating with carbon, write the
word equation for this reaction. Zinc oxide + carbon -> zinc + carbon dioxide.

3. Why is electrolysis not used to extract zinc? A lot of energy would be needed to
keep it molten. A large amount of electricity would be needed for electrolysis.
Electrolysis is more expensive than heating zinc oxide with carbon.