abeka chemistry 11 section 11.2

iron

silvery-white metal that is the second most abundant metal and, in the form of steel, the most abundantly used

hematite

most common form of iron

blast furnace

vertical, heat-resistant furnace column; used to refine iron ore through reactions involving coke, limestone, and heated oxygen

slag

floats upon the molten iron, preventing the reaction of incoming air with the molten iron

direct iron reduction

method in which natural gas is used to reduce iron ore to sponge iron

steel

alloy of iron and a small percentage of carbon

carbon steels

alloys of carbon and iron only

alloy steels

contain other metals besides iron

basic oxygen process

process that uses pure oxygen in a furnace lined with refractory bricks to refine pig iron to steel

electric arc process

steel-refining process in which an electric arc between giant carbon electrodes provides the heat to melt the metal

annealing

process in which internal stresses are removed from a piece of steel by heating it 700-800 degrees celsius for up to several hours and then slowly cooling it

cold working

method of hardening a piece of steel in which the metal is bent or hammered into its final shape at a relatively low temperature

quenching

process of hardening a piece of steel by cooling it quickly in a bath of cold water or oil

tempering

process in which hardened steel is made less brittle by gently heating it to a moderate temperature and allowing it to cool

case hardening

process that hardens the surface of steel while leaving the interior resilient by heating the object to a high temperature in a carbon-rich environment

copper

metal that is a good conductor of electricity and heat and is the primary component of brass and bronze

precious metals

valued for their appearance, durability, workability, and scarcity

cyanide process

process of extracting gold an silver from low-grade ores by reacting with aqueous sodium cyanide and treating the mixture with activated charcoal

gold

soft, yellow, highly lustrous, precious metal that is the most malleable and ductile metal known

silver

relatively soft, lustrous, and malleable precious metal that is the most reflective metal and is the best known conductor of heat and electricity at normal temperatures

amalgam

alloy of mercury and another metal

platinum

precious metal used primarily as a catalyst in pollution-control devices and in the production of petroleum products

osmium

densest naturally occurring element

titanium

strong, lightweight, heat-resistant metal widely used in helicopters, airplanes, and spacecraft

uranium

transition metal used as a fuel in nuclear power plants and prized for its density