Carbon chemistry

Ore — আকরিক

Quick answer

A natural rock or mineral from which metal can be extracted profitably, like haematite (Fe2O3\mathrm{Fe_{2}O_{3}}) for iron.

Definition

An ore is a naturally occurring rock or mineral from which a metal or other valuable material can be extracted at worthwhile cost. Most ores are metal compounds mixed with rocky impurities called gangue: haematite (Fe2O3\mathrm{Fe_{2}O_{3}}) gives iron, bauxite (mainly Al2O3\mathrm{Al_{2}O_{3}}) gives aluminium, and chalcopyrite yields copper. To win the metal, chemists crush the ore, concentrate it, then reduce it — usually by heating with carbon, which grabs the oxygen away.

For example

Bangladesh still imports most of its steel-making raw material, but in 2019 geologists reported a large iron ore deposit at Isabpur in Dinajpur — ore, rock rich in Fe2O3\mathrm{Fe_{2}O_{3}}, not metal yet.

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