Question

Describe the use of aluminium as reducing agent for reduction of metal oxides: Give the equations involved.

Answer 1

Aluminium ($\mathrm{Al}$) is a metal that is placed in the p-block of the periodic table and it has great use in the extraction of metals.

The chemical which is going to donate or looses the electrons in a redox reaction is called reducing agent.

Aluminium ($\mathrm{Al}$) is a very reactive metal due to which it can easily replace or displace metals from their metal oxides. Therefore, it is used as a reducing agent.

For example, when Aluminium ($\mathrm{Al}$) is reacted with Ferric oxide (${\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$), then it displaces the Iron ($\mathrm{Fe}$) from Ferric oxide (${\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$) to form Aluminium oxide (${\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$) and Iron ($\mathrm{Fe}$) metal. The reaction showing the displacement of Aluminium ($\mathrm{Al}$) and Ferric oxide (${\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$) is given below:

$\underset{\mathrm{Ferric}\mathrm{oxide}}{{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Aluminium}}{2\mathrm{Al}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Aluminium}\mathrm{oxide}}{{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Iron}}{2\mathrm{Fe}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$

This reaction is an example of exothermic reaction (heat is going to be released during the chemical reaction).