Final answer:
To make pure iron, impurities such as carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, and silicon need to be eliminated from iron ore through various processes in a blast furnace.
Step-by-step explanation:
To make pure iron from iron ore, some components need to be removed. This process involves processing raw iron ore to separate various unwanted components. Following are the main steps in removing these components:
- Crushing and Washing Iron ore is first crushed into smaller sizes so that it can be processed further. After that, the ore is washed to remove dirt and other unwanted materials.
- Separation of Iron from Oxygen The reduction process is used to remove oxygen from iron ore. One method commonly used is the smelting process with coke and limestone in a blast furnace. Coke is used as a fuel and reducing agent, while limestone functions as a dirt-catching material.
- Carbon Separation After oxygen is removed, the next step is to separate carbon from iron. This process is carried out by adding additional materials such as coal or coke to the molten iron to reduce the carbon content.
- Separation of other impurities Apart from oxygen and carbon, iron ore can also contain other impurities such as silicon, phosphorus, sulfur and manganese. Additional refining processes are required to remove these impurities and obtain pure iron.
- Formation of the Final Product After all unwanted components have been removed, the molten iron can be molded into the final product as needed, such as steel beams or steel sheets.