Metals and their Uses

Extracting metals
1. Ores
  1. Rocks which contain enough metal to make extraction economically viable
  2. Ores may be concentrated first
2. Methods of extraction
  1. Electrolysis
    1. Metals more reactive than carbon
    2. OIL RIG
      1. Oxidation is loss
        Positive ions move away from the positive electrode and towards the negative electrode
      2. Reduction is gain
        The negative electrode gains positive ions
  2. Reduction
    1. Metals less reactive than carbon
    2. heating with carbon
    3. CuO +H2 = Cu + H20
  3. Other
    1. Smelting
      1. Used for copper
    2. Phytomining
      1. Uses plants to absorb metal compounds
        Plants are burnt to produce ash that contains compounds
    3. Bioleaching
      1. Uses bacteria to produce leachate solutions which contain metal compounds
Alloys
1. most metals used in every day life are alloys as pure metals are too soft by themself
  1. Mixing metals makes them harder
2. Iron
  1. Iron from the blast furnace is 96% pure iron
    1. The impurities make it brittle
    2. Most irons are mixed with carbon to make steel
      1. Low carbon steels are easily shaped
      2. High carbon steels are hard
      3. Stainless steals are resistant to corrosion
Properties and uses of metals
1. Transition metals
  1. Elements in the middle of the periodic table
2. Properties
  1. Can be bent or hammered into shape
  2. Good conductors of heat
  3. Good conductors of electricity
  4. Useful structural materials
3. Copper
  1. Useful for plumbing and electrical wiring
    1. Doesn't react with water
    2. Is a good conductor of heat and electricity
    3. Is hard but malleable enough to be used for pipes
4. Aluminium and Titanium
  1. Useful metals
    1. Resistance to corrosion
    2. Low density

Media attachments

78d28b39-c181-48ef-afe3-5f42d40f0156.gif (image/gif)

Next up

Metals and their Uses

Description

Resource summary

Media attachments

Similar

	Created by Catherine Irvine over 8 years ago