Question

Why is iron not extracted by electrolysis?

Answer 1

Reason for Iron extraction not by electrolysis :

Because iron is a fairly active element, its oxides can be reduced by carbon rather than electrolysis. On the basis of energy considerations, iron can be easily reduced using coke, and it also offers the necessary quantity of heat energy for the operation. To leave the iron behind, the oxygen must be removed from the iron(III) oxide. As a result, whereas iron cannot be retrieved using electrolysis, it may be extracted using the blast furnace approach.