Haematite is the main ore of iron. Its formula is Fe₂O₃ (iron oxide). In the blast furnace, coke (a form of carbon) burns in hot air to produce carbon dioxide, which then reacts with more coke to form carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide reduces the iron oxide:
This deep dive covers Iron From Haematite — Carbon Reduction in the Blast Furnace within Extracting Metals for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Extracting Metals in Chemical Changes for GCSE Chemistry with 6 exam-style questions and 6 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 14 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Extracting Metals
Which method is used to extract a metal that is MORE reactive than carbon?
Iron is extracted from haematite in a blast furnace. Describe how iron is obtained from iron oxide using carbon, and explain the term 'reduction' in this context.