AQA C1a 2.2 Blast Furnace

- Iron is the 2nd most comon metal in the earths crust.                                              - Iron ore is just iron combined with oxygen.                                                              - Haematite ->most comon iron ore, contains mainly iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) and sand.                                                                                                                         - Coke-> Made from coal and almost pure carbon, provides the reducing agent.

We also add limestone to remove impurities

Hot air is blown into the blast furnace, this makes the COKE burn, which heats the furnace and forms CO2 gas    C  +  O2  -->  CO2

At the hight temp in the blast furnace, this CO2 reacts again with the COKE to form carbon monoxide  CO2  +  C  -->  2CO

The carbon monoxide reacts with the iron oxide, removiong its oxygen, and reducing it to molten iron, this flows to the bottom. Fe2O3  + CO-> 2Fe  + 3CO2