Extraction of Metals

Students interested in chemistry love to explore and read the extraction of metals. The earth crust’s houses several metals, including sulphur, silicon, and so on. However, some are found deep under the water, such as chloride. Mostly, these metals are found in a free state; however, at times, they are even present in a combined state. The typical examples of a free state, also known as the noble metals, are diamond and gold. These metals generally consist of the least amount of chemical reactivity.

On the other hand, metals in a combined state are highly reactive. Today, in this study, material notes on the extraction of metals, we will talk about metals, types of metals, and their extraction in detail. So, without any further ado, let’s get started with the extraction of metals study material.  

Introduction to Metals 

Metals can be defined as substances or minerals formed naturally on the earth’s surface. Mostly, metals are shiny and lustrous; however, they are made of components that were never alive on the earth; therefore, metals are inorganic. Generally, metals are found in rocks washes by groundwater, surface water, or atmospheric dust. 

Metals are extremely durable and strong; as a result, it is nearly impossible to change their shapes using hands. Several things are made up of metals. These include cooking utensils, satellites, automobiles, etc. note certain metals such as Sodium and potassium are not as hard as other metals; as a result, they can be cut using a knife. In the world of metals, mercury is an exception as it is in the liquid state at room temperature. 

Types of Metals

Here is the complete list of metals, along with their symbols and atomic number. Let’s have a look- 

Introduce the Extraction of Metals 

The metals are extracted from the process of Mining. The earth’s crust holds metals in abundance. The metal extractions from the ore allow the easy use of minerals from the ground. Note the finished metals are incredibly different from that of ores because of the impurities in the earth known as Gangue. The extraction and isolation of metals take place over several major steps. These include –

• Ore concentration 

• Metal isolation from concentrated ore

• Metal purification 

Here are the steps involved in the metal extraction from ores-  

• Crushing and Grinding 

Metals are generally found in big chunks inside the earth’s crust. In the first metal extraction step, the ores are crushed and grounded in crushers and ball mills. It increases the chunk’s surface area, which results in better chemical action. This method is known as pulverisation. 

• Concentrating Ore

The second step involves concentrating the ore, which is related to the removal of impurities. This process is known as ore dressing that involves several methods such as Hydrolytic Method, Magnetic Separation, Froth Floatation, and lastly, Chemical Separation. 

• Roasting and Calcination 

Once the ore is finely concentrated, it is then heated in the absence or the presence of the air, depending on the chemical properties of the extracted metals. For example, sulphide ores are mostly heated in the presence of oxygen, whereas carbonated metal ores are heated in the presence of a vacuum. 

Conclusion 

The extraction of metals is one of the most interesting topics of Chemistry. In this Study material notes on extraction of metals, we studied metals in length. We also covered other essential metals, extraction of metals, and other related topics in detail. In the end, we discussed several techniques used to extract and make metals. We hope the extraction of metals study material must have helped attain a greater understanding of this topic.