Consider the following six elements found as impurities in various ores: Sulphur, Arsenic, Antimony, — Metallurgy and Isolation of Elements Chemistry Question
Question
Consider the following six elements found as impurities in various ores: Sulphur, Arsenic, Antimony, Phosphorus, Silicon, and Iron. How many of these elements are primarily removed as volatile oxides during the roasting process?
Answer: 4
💡 Solution & Explanation
During roasting, S, As, Sb, and P form volatile oxides ($SO_2$, $As_2O_3$, $Sb_2O_3$, $P_4O_{10}$) and escape with the exhaust gases. Silicon forms non-volatile $SiO_2$ (removed later as slag), and Iron forms non-volatile $FeO/Fe_2O_3$. Thus, 4 elements from the list are removed as volatile oxides.
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