What is the purpose (beneficiation, chemical conversion, reduction, or purification) of each of the following chemical reactions in producing the metal specified? (a) Titanium: TiO2 2Cl2 2C → TiCl4 2CO (b) Aluminium: 2Al2O3 6C electrical energy → 4Al 6CO (c) Aluminum: OH– (Fe2o3, Al2o3, Tio2)(s) → Fe2o3 (s) TiO2(s) [Al(OH)4]– (aq); filter; cool → Al2o3 (s)?

Question

What is the purpose (beneficiation, chemical conversion, reduction, or purification) of each of the following chemical reactions in producing the metal specified? (a) Titanium: TiO2   2Cl2   2C → TiCl4   2CO (b) Aluminium: 2Al2O3   6C   electrical energy → 4Al   6CO (c) Aluminum: OH–   (Fe2o3, Al2o3, Tio2)(s) → Fe2o3 (s)   TiO2(s)   [Al(OH)4]– (aq); filter; cool → Al2o3 (s)?

Answer

Purpose of Chemical Reactions in Metal Production:

a) Titanium:

- Chemical Conversion: The chemical reaction involves the conversion of titanium dioxide (TiO2) into titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), which is a key intermediate in the production of titanium metal.
- Reduction: The reaction also involves the reduction of chlorine gas (Cl2) and carbon (C) to produce carbon monoxide (CO) and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4).

b) Aluminium:

- Chemical Conversion: The chemical reaction involves the conversion of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) into aluminum metal (Al).
- Reduction: The reaction also involves the reduction of carbon (C) to produce carbon monoxide (CO) and aluminum metal (Al).
- Electrical Energy: Electrical energy is used as a source of energy to drive the reduction reaction.

c) Aluminum:

- Purification: The chemical reaction involves the purification of aluminum hydroxide (OH-) by removing impurities such as iron oxide (Fe2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3).
- Chemical Conversion: The reaction converts iron oxide (Fe2O3) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) into their respective solid forms.
- Filtration: The mixture is filtered to separate the solid impurities from the aluminum hydroxide solution.
- Cooling: The aluminum hydroxide solution is then cooled to precipitate aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) which can be further calcined to obtain aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

In summary, these chemical reactions are essential steps in the production of the respective metals. They involve chemical conversion, reduction, and purification processes to obtain the desired metal in its pure form.

Answer

Purpose of Chemical Reactions in Producing Metals

Titanium: TiO2 + 2Cl2 + 2C → TiCl4 + 2CO

The purpose of this chemical reaction is chemical conversion.
- TiO2 is chemically converted to TiCl4, which is a volatile compound.
- The reaction involves the addition of chlorine gas (Cl2) and carbon (C) to TiO2, resulting in the formation of TiCl4 and carbon monoxide (CO).
- This chemical conversion is important in the production of titanium because TiCl4 is a key intermediate compound used in the extraction of titanium metal.

Aluminium: 2Al2O3 + 6C + electrical energy → 4Al + 6CO

The purpose of this chemical reaction is chemical reduction.
- The reaction involves the reduction of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) by carbon (C) and electrical energy, resulting in the production of aluminum metal (Al) and carbon monoxide (CO).
- This reduction process is essential in the production of aluminum because aluminum oxide is a stable compound and cannot be directly converted to aluminum metal.
- The use of electrical energy provides the necessary energy for the reduction reaction to occur.

Aluminum: OH– + (Fe2O3, Al2O3, TiO2)(s) → Fe2O3(s) + TiO2(s) + [Al(OH)4]– (aq); filter; cool → Al2O3 (s)

The purpose of this chemical reaction is purification.
- The reaction involves the treatment of a mixture containing hydroxide ions (OH–) and impurities such as iron oxide (Fe2O3), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and titanium dioxide (TiO2).
- By adding hydroxide ions, the impurities form soluble complexes ([Al(OH)4]–), while the desired compound, aluminum oxide (Al2O3), remains as a solid.
- The mixture is then filtered to separate the solid aluminum oxide from the soluble complexes and the remaining solids (Fe2O3 and TiO2).
- Finally, the solid aluminum oxide is obtained through the cooling process, where the soluble complexes precipitate out, leaving behind purified aluminum oxide.

In summary, the purpose of these chemical reactions in producing the specified metals are:
- Titanium: Chemical conversion of TiO2 to TiCl4, an important intermediate compound in the extraction of titanium.
- Aluminium: Chemical reduction of Al2O3 to obtain aluminum metal, facilitated by the use of carbon and electrical energy.
- Aluminum: Purification of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) through the formation of soluble complexes and subsequent filtration and cooling processes.

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