The purest form of iron is prepared by oxidising impurities from cast iron in a reverberatory furnace. Which iron ore is used to line the furnace? Explain by giving reaction.

Explanation

Haematite ore `(Fe_(2)O_(3))` is used to line blast furnace. It oxidises carbon present in cast iron upon heating to form carbon monoxide (CO). By doing so, the carbon contents decrease from (2.5 to 4.5%) in cast iron to about 0.2 to 0.5 %. This variety of iron is known as wrought iron. It is the purest form of iron.
`Fe_(2)O_(3)(s) +3C(s) overset("heat") to 2Fe(s) +3CO(g)`