reduction smelting

Reduction smelting is a metallurgical process used to extract metals from their ores. It involves heating the ore, typically an oxide compound, with a reducing agent, such as carbon, at high temperatures. The reducing agent causes the metallic oxide to release its oxygen, which then combines with the reducing agent to form a gas like carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. This leaves the metal in an uncombined form.1

This process is crucial in extractive metallurgy, where metals are separated from their chemical compounds and refined. Furnaces like the blast furnace are commonly used for reduction smelting, particularly for iron, zinc, and lead oxides. The choice of reduction smelting depends on the specific ore and the desired purity of the extracted metal.21