Question

Mention differences between electrolytic reduction and carbon reduction methods.

Answer 1

Differences between electrolytic reduction and carbon reduction methods.

Electrolytic Reduction	Carbon Reduction
The electrolysis process is used for reduction.	Carbon is used as a reduction agent
Oxide and Chlorides of highly reactive metals (e.g., Aluminium, Sodium, Magnesium and Calcium) are reduced by this process.	Oxides of moderately reactive metals (e.g., Zinc, Iron, Copper, and Nickel) are reduced by Carbon.
In this process, molten Metal Oxide is electrolysed in an electrolytic cell where the cathode acts as a powerful reducing agent by supplying electrons to reduce metal ions into metal. ${\mathbf{Al}}^{\mathbf{3}\mathbf{+}}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{3}{\mathbf{e}}^{\mathbf{-}}$ (Electrolytic reduction) $\mathbf{\to }\mathbf{}\mathbf{Al}$ (Aluminium metal)	In this process, the metal oxide is mixed with Carbon and heated in a furnace. $$\begin{gathered} \mathbf{ZnO}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{C}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\stackrel{\mathbf{∆}}{\mathbf{\to }}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Zn}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{CO}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{g}\mathbf{\right)} \\ \mathbf{Zinc}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Carbon}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Zinc}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Carbon} \\ \mathbf{Oxide}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Dioxide} \end{gathered}$$