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SMELTING

Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to the process of separating the metal from impurities by heating the concentrate to a high temperature to cause the metal to melt. Smelting the concentrate produces a metal or a high-grade metallic mixture along with a solid waste product called slag.

This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores. This usually involves the reduction of metal oxides (ore) to metal (reduction reaction are those which take electrons away from the elements, the reduction becomes the opposite of oxidation reactions), and the formation of non-metal oxide waste known as slag.

Smelting uses heat and a chemical reducing agent to change the oxidation state of the metal ore; the reducing agent is commonly a source of carbon such as coke, or in earlier times charcoal. The carbon or carbon monoxide derived from it removes oxygen from the ore to leave the metal. The carbon is thus oxidized in two stages, producing first carbon monoxide and then carbon dioxide.

And in the process of smelting, the ore minerals may be added by Chemical Fusing Metallic Minerals such as borax, backing soda, or with ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) to mineral-borne heavy metals along with gold ore minerals can be separated. Fluxes are used in smelting for several purposes, chief among them catalyzing the desired reactions and chemically binding to unwanted impurities or reaction products. Calcium oxide, in the form of lime, was often used for this purpose, since it could react with the carbon dioxide sulfur dioxide produced during roasting and smelting to keep them out of the working environment.
  
HERE ARE A FEW COMPOSITIONS USED IN METAL SMELTING


MATERIAL COMPOSITION FUNCTION
Quartz  SiO2 Fluxing agent ,
Acidic
Glass xNa2OyCaOz SiO2 Fluxing agent ,
Acidic
Borax Na2B4O7 10H2O Fluxing agent ,
Acidic
Borax Na2B4O7 Fluxing agent ,
Acidic

Phosphorus Salt
Na ( NH4 )HPO4 4H2O Fluxing agent
Soda Na2CO3 Fluxing agent,
Desulfurization

Sodium Bicarbonate
NaHCO3 Fluxing agent,
Desulfurization
Potassium Carbonate K2CO3 Fluxing agent,
Desulfurization
Lead ( II ) PbO Fluxing agent, Desulfurization,
Oxidizing, Collector, Basic
Tartaric KHC4H4O6 Reducing
Charcoal
Reducing
Flour
Reducing
Potassium Cyanide KCN Reducing
Iron Fe Reducing,
Desulfurization
Salpeter KNO3 ( NaNO3 ) Oxidizing,
Desulfurization
Timbal Pb Collector
White Lead PbCO3 Pb ( OH ) 2 Collector, Desulfuring
Lead Acetate Pb ( CH3COO)2 3H2O Collector
Sodium Chloride NaCl Coating agent
Flourite CaF2 Inert neutral,
Fluxing agent
Greenland Spar Cryolite Na3AlF6 Solvent A12O3
Ammonium Carbonate ( NH4 )2CO3 Desulfurizing,
Volatilizing
Coure Of : Frick - Dausch

In the process of  smelting gold concentrates, the smelting process is a fire burning at a temperature of 1800 ° C, causing an oxidation of minerals and melt and form a solid system - liquid.  It is a chemical process and involves more than just melting the gold.

At the initial stage of fusion is to place the mineral ore concentrate which was completed in the extraction into a container shaped like a fusion of glass or a large bowl made ​​of carbon materials.

Then the container was put into a melting furnace, because the fireplace can help keep a certain chemical conditions and hot temperatures in order to stabilize the mineral ore into a metal melt easily. Metallic mineral ores need to be heated to very high temperatures to produce pure metals as well as temperatures higher temperatures.

Iron melts at 1800 ° C (3270 ° F) and gold melts at 1062 ° C (1943 ° F). Because iron has a higher melting temperature than gold. After the melting process was finished and the metal has completely melted as liquid water is clear and shiny metal can then immediately pour into a mold to form an ingot that would be cool if it has a gold metal bars.

These few examples of simple equipment for metal smelting : 
 

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