Question

In blast furnace iron oxide is reduced by

• A. Hot blast of air
• B. Carbon monoxide
• C. Carbon
• D. Silica

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Carbon monoxide

Answer 2

An oxidation-reduction reaction occurring in a blast furnace is required to create iron from its ore.

As carbon is a more reactive element than iron, it is utilized to reduce iron using carbon monoxide (CO).

When carbon combines with oxygen, it creates carbon monoxide, which subsequently reacts with iron oxide to create elemental iron.

2C + O2 → 2CO

Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2

Magnetite and hematite are sources of iron. The two most typical iron ores are these two.

By adding ore, limestone, and coke to the blast furnace, iron may be produced from hematite. Metal silicates that are iron-bearing are the major contaminant in hematite.

The reduction of ferrous oxides in the molten ore in the blast furnace is the first step in the extraction process. In the blast furnace, carbon-based coke combines with oxygen to produce carbon monoxide and iron oxides that have been reduced by carbon monoxide.