Part of INC-06 — General Principles & Processes of Isolation of Elements

Flowcharts: Extraction Pathways

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Aluminium — Complete Flowchart

Bauxite (Al2O3·2H2O + Fe2O3 + SiO2)
    ↓ [Bayer's Process — NaOH leaching]
NaAlO2 (solution) + Fe2O3 (filtered off)
    ↓ [Dilution / CO2 treatment]
Al(OH)3 ↓ (precipitate)
    ↓ [Calcination, $\Delta$]
Pure Al2O3 (alumina)
    ↓ [Hall-Heroult electrolysis in molten cryolite at ~950°C]
Crude Al (cathode) + CO2 (anode)
    ↓ [Hoopes process — optional further refining]
Pure Al (99.99%+)

Copper — Complete Flowchart

CuFeS2 (copper pyrite ore)
    ↓ [Froth flotation — pine oil, air]
Concentrated CuFeS2
    ↓ [Roasting — excess air]
Matte: Cu2S + FeS + SO2 ↑
    ↓ [Smelting with SiO2 flux]
Slag: FeSiO3 removed + Cu2S remains
    ↓ [Bessemer converter — air blown]
Step 1: 2Cu2S + 3O2 → 2Cu2O + 2SO2
Step 2: Cu2S + 2Cu2O → 6Cu + SO2
    ↓
Blister copper (~98% Cu, blistered surface)
    ↓ [Electrolytic refining — CuSO4 electrolyte]
Pure Cu (>99.99%) + Anode mud (Au, Ag)

Iron — Complete Flowchart

Haematite (Fe2O3) + Coke (C) + Limestone (CaCO3) → [Blast furnace]
    ↓ [Bottom — combustion zone ~2000 K]
C + O2 → CO2; CO2 + C → 2CO
    ↓ [Middle — flux zone ~1400 K]
CaCO3 → CaO + CO2; CaO + SiO2 → CaSiO3 (slag, tapped off)
    ↓ [Upper — reduction zone 500–800 K]
Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2
    ↓
Pig iron (~4% C) tapped from bottom
    ↓ [Puddling / BOF — further processing]
Cast iron / Mild steel / High-grade steel

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