Metals and their uses Flashcards
What is an ore?
A rock that contains enough of a metal to make it, economically, worth extracting.
Disadvantages of mining ores
Produces large amounts of waste
May have major impacts to the environment
What is usually used to extract metals via displacement?
Carbon.
What is cast iron?
Impure iron taken directly from a furnace.
What are steels?
Mixtures of iron with carbon and other elements.
What is the difference between low and high carbon steels?
Low carbon steels are easily shaped whilst high carbon steels are hard.
Advantages of using aluminium.
Low density
Resistant to corrosion
Many uses
Disadvantages of aluminium.
Process of extraction uses high temperatures and is expensive.
Why is titanium a very useful metal of making aircraft engines?
Strong, resists corrosion and has a low density.
How do you extract copper from copper-rich ores?
Smelting - heating the ore strongly in a furnace.
What is phytomining?
Plant that absorb copper compounds are burned and produces ash which contains copper.
What is bioleaching?
Using bacteria to produce solutions containing copper compounds.
