Question

The number of reducing agents involved in the extraction of iron (as pig iron) using blast furnace from ore haematite is/are:

Answer 1

At 500–800 K (lower temperature range in the blast furnace):
$3\underset{\text{hematite}}{F{e}_2{O}_3}+CO\to 2F{e}_3{O}_4+C{O}_2$
$F{e}_3{O}_4+CO\to 3Fe+4C{O}_2$
$F{e}_2{O}_3+CO\to 2FeO+C{O}_2$
At 900 -1500 K (higher temparature range in the blast furnace):
$C+C{O}_2\to 2CO;$
$FeO+CO\to Fe+C{O}_2$
So, the number of reducing agents involved in the extraction of iron (as pig iron) using blast furnace from ore haematite are 2