The Art of Extracting Metals
Metallurgy is the fascinating science of extracting pure, gleaming metals from the dirt and rocks of the Earth. It is a journey that involves crushing, washing, roasting, and melting. In this problem, we are tasked with matching four distinct metallurgical processes or terms with their corresponding industrial applications. Let's dive deep into the chemistry and engineering behind each of these terms.
The Magic of Cyanide Leaching
First on our list is the concentration of silver (Ag) ore. Silver, much like gold, is a noble metal. It doesn't easily react with common acids or bases. So, how do we separate it from the massive amounts of useless rock (gangue) it is embedded in?
We use a brilliant hydrometallurgical technique known as the Mac-Arthur Forrest cyanide process. The crushed ore is treated with a dilute solution of sodium cyanide (NaCN) in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. The silver reacts to form a highly stable, water-soluble complex:
Ag2S+4NaCN⇌2Na[Ag(CN)2]+Na2S
Because the silver is now dissolved in the liquid, we can simply filter out the solid rock impurities. Later, we add a more reactive metal like zinc to displace the silver and precipitate it out in its pure form. Therefore, the concentration of Ag ore perfectly matches with leaching with dilute NaCN solution.
The Mighty Blast Furnace
Next, we encounter the blast furnace, the towering behemoth of the iron industry. Iron ore (like haematite, Fe2O3) is fed into the top of the furnace along with coke (carbon) and limestone. As a blast of hot air is blown from the bottom, a series of intense reduction reactions occur at varying temperature zones.
The molten iron that collects at the very bottom hearth of the blast furnace is known as pig iron. It is the most impure form of commercial iron, containing approximately 4% carbon along with traces of sulfur, phosphorus, and silicon. Because of this high carbon content, pig iron is extremely hard but very brittle. Thus, the blast furnace is directly associated with the production of pig iron.
The Journey to Blister Copper
Our third term is blister copper. The extraction of copper from its primary ore, copper pyrites (CuFeS2), is a multi-step pyrometallurgical process. After initial concentration, the ore is roasted and smelted.
This crucial smelting step takes place in a reverberatory furnace. Here, the ore is heated strongly, and volatile impurities escape. The iron impurities form a slag (FeSiO3), leaving behind a molten mixture of copper sulphide (Cu2S) and iron sulphide (FeS), known as copper matte.
This matte is then transferred to a Bessemer converter, where a self-reduction reaction occurs. As the copper solidifies, dissolved sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas escapes, leaving blister-like eruptions on the surface of the metal—hence the name "blister copper." Because the reverberatory furnace is the essential preparatory stage for this, it is the correct match for blister copper in our list.
Froth Floatation
The Power of Bubbles
Finally, we look at the froth floatation method. This is one of the most elegant physical separation techniques in metallurgy. It is almost exclusively used for the concentration of sulphide ores (such as zinc blende, ZnS, or galena, PbS).
The principle is based on the difference in wetting properties. Sulphide ore particles are hydrophobic (water-repelling) but are easily wetted by oils (like pine oil). The gangue particles are hydrophilic (water-attracting). When air is blown through a suspension of the ore in water and oil, the sulphide particles attach to the oil-coated air bubbles and rise to the surface as a rich froth, which is then skimmed off. Therefore, the froth floatation method matches perfectly with sulphide ores.
Final Conclusion
By understanding the fundamental chemistry and industrial application of each process, the matching becomes incredibly intuitive:
- (A) Concentration of Ag ore → (III) Leaching with dilute NaCN solution
- (B) Blast furnace → (II) Pig iron
- (C) Blister copper → (I) Reverberatory furnace
- (D) Froth floatation method → (IV) Sulphide ores
This leads us directly to the correct option, proving that a solid grasp of metallurgical principles makes these matrix match questions highly scoring!