The cyanide process is used to extract gold (Au) from its ores. The process involves the following reactions:
\(4Au + 8NaCN + O_2 + 2H_2O \to 4Na[Au(CN)_2] + 4NaOH\)
After this, the impure gold cyanide complex is treated with zinc to reduce the gold:
\(2Na[Au(CN)_2] \xrightarrow{[Zn]} \underset{\text{ppt}}{2 Au} + Na_2[Zn(CN)_4]\)
The froth flotation process is used for concentrating sulphide ores. This method involves using air bubbles to separate the desired minerals from the rest of the ore by creating froth, where the mineral particles attach to the bubbles.
The Hall-Heroult process is used to extract aluminium from its ore, bauxite. This process involves the electrolytic reduction of bauxite in the presence of cryolite:
Electrolytic reduction of bauxite is done by dissolving the ore in molten cryolite (Na₃AlF₆) and applying a direct current. This reduces aluminium oxide to aluminium metal at the cathode.
Zone refining is a method of purifying semiconductor materials like Germanium (Ge) and Silicon (Si). In this method, a molten zone is passed along the material, selectively dissolving impurities into the molten region, which is then moved to the next region for further purification.
(a) → (iv), (b) → (ii), (c) → (iii), (d) → (i)
A block of mass 1 kg is pushed up a surface inclined to horizontal at an angle of \( 60^\circ \) by a force of 10 N parallel to the inclined surface. When the block is pushed up by 10 m along the inclined surface, the work done against frictional force is:
[Given: \( g = 10 \) m/s\( ^2 \), \( \mu_s = 0.1 \)]
A gas can be taken from A to B via two different processes ACB and ADB. When path ACB is used, \( 60 J \) of heat flows into the system and \( 30 J \) of work is done by the system. If path ADB is used, the work done by the system is \( 10 J \). The heat flow into the system in path ADB is:
A bob of heavy mass \(m\) is suspended by a light string of length \(l\). The bob is given a horizontal velocity \(v_0\) as shown in figure. If the string gets slack at some point P making an angle \( \theta \) from the horizontal, the ratio of the speed \(v\) of the bob at point P to its initial speed \(v_0\) is :
Minerals are the naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substances. They are having a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure, hardness and color. For example, copper pyrite, calamine, etc.
Impurities in an ore are called gauge. The removal of a gauge from the ore is called concentration ore.
Several steps are involved in the extraction of pure metal from ores. Major steps are as follows –