What methods can use in extracting metals from mineral ores?
• The Earth’s crust contains many different rocks. Rocks are a mixture of minerals and from some we can make useful substances. • A mineral can be a solid metallic or non-metallic element or a compound found naturally in the Earth’s crust. • A metal ore is a mineral or mixture of minerals from which economically viable amounts of metal can be extracted, i.e. its got to have enough of the metal, or one of its compounds, in it to be worth digging out! Ores are often oxides, carbonates or sulphides. They are all finite resources so we should use them wisely! • In order to extract a metal, the ore or compound of the metal must undergo a process called reduction to free the metal i.e. the positive metal ion gains negative electrons to form the neutral metal atom, or the oxide loses oxygen, to form the free metallic atoms. • The chemical that removes the oxygen from an oxide is called the reducing agent i.e. carbon, carbon monoxide or sometimes hydrogen. • Detailed REDOX notes on the metal r
