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Explain the Extraction of zinc from its important ore.

seo-qna
Last updated date: 22nd Mar 2024
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MVSAT 2024
Answer
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Hint – In this question use the concept that the chief ore of zinc from where it is extracted from is zinc blende, so the process of concentration, roasting, reduction and purification are the important steps after which pure zinc is obtained. This will help in the explanation of extraction.

Complete answer:

As we know that the chief ore of zinc is zinc blende.
The extraction of zinc from zinc blende involves the following process/steps.
$\left( 1 \right)$ Concentration – The ore is crushed and then concentration by fourth – floatation process.
$\left( 2 \right)$ Roasting – the concentrated ore is then roasted in the presence of excess of air at about 1200k, the chemical reaction of this process is shown below,
$2ZnS + 3{O_2}\xrightarrow{{\Delta \left( {{\text{heating}}} \right)}}2ZnO + 2S{O_2}$
$\left( 3 \right)$ Reduction – zinc oxide is mixed with powered coke and heated to 1673k in a fine clay retort in which ZnO is reduced to zinc metal, the chemical reaction of this process is shown below,
$ZnO + C\xrightarrow{{\Delta \left( {163K} \right)}}Zn + CO$
$\left( 4 \right)$ Purification – zinc is purified by electrolytic refining, in this process impure zinc behaves as anode and pure thin sheet of zinc behaves as cathode.
The electrolyte is a ZnSO4 solution containing a little dilute H2SO4.
On passing electric current pure zinc gets deposited at the cathode.
So this is the required answer.

Note – Zinc blende (ZnS) or sphalerite is based on a fcc lattice. It largely consists of zinc sulfide along with calcite, dolomite and fluorite. Extraction of zinc is a very rough deal as the temperature at which other metals are extracted at that temperature zinc attains gaseous form. Zinc ore is most commonly found as zinc carbonate also known as calamine or smithsonite.


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