Q.Write steps involved in metallurgical process
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Step 1. Concentration. After mining, the ore is separated from its gangue (unwanted sand/mud/impurity material) using a method suited to the specific ore -- washing, hydraulic classification, magnetic separation, froth flotation, etc. -- leaving a concentrated ore.
Step 2. Roasting/Calcination. The concentrated ore is heated (typically in air), converting it toward its oxide form and driving off volatile impurities (e.g. sulfur and arsenic impurities escape as their oxides in the haematite case study, Section 8.9.2) as vapour; the roasted ore is often sintered into lumps for the next step.
Step 3. Reduction (Smelting). The roasted/oxide ore is reduced to the free metal using a suitable reducing agent -- carbon/coke, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, aluminium, or electrolytic reduction, depending on the metal (pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy or electrometallurgy per Section 8.9.1's three-way classification). A flux (e.g. limestone in the iron case) is often added at this stage to combine with any remaining gangue and form a separable molten slag.
Step 4. Refining. The crude metal produced by reduction is purified to the required grade, by methods such as electrolytic refining, liquefaction, distillation or oxidation, whichever suits the metal and the purity needed. …
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