Why are sulphide ores converted to oxide before reduction?

Options

A. Sulphides cannot be reduced easily while oxides can be reduced easily.
B. Sulphides decompose on reduction hence they are first converted to oxides
C. Sulphides ore have higher melting points than oxides.
D. Oxides are more stable than sulphides hence easy to reduce.

Explanation

To answer the question "Why are sulphide ores converted to oxide before reduction?", we can break down the explanation into several steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Ore Types**:
- Ores are naturally occurring solid materials from which a metal or valuable mineral can be extracted. Sulphide ores contain metal combined with sulphur, while oxide ores contain metal combined with oxygen.

2. **Reduction Process**:
- Reduction is a chemical process where a compound gains electrons or loses oxygen, typically to convert a metal oxide into its elemental form. This is a crucial step in metal extraction.

3. **Difficulty of Reducing Sulphide Ores**:
- Sulphide ores are generally more challenging to reduce compared to oxide ores. This is because the reduction of sulphides often requires higher temperatures and more complex chemical reactions.

4. **Ease of Reducing Oxide Ores**:
- Oxide ores can be reduced more easily, often at lower temperatures and with simpler methods, such as using carbon or other reducing agents.

5. **Conversion Process**:
- To facilitate the reduction process, sulphide ores are first converted into oxide ores. This conversion typically involves roasting the sulphide ore in the presence of oxygen, which removes the sulphur and forms metal oxides.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, converting sulphide ores to oxide ores is essential because it simplifies the reduction process, making it more efficient and feasible for extracting metals.

### Final Answer:
Sulphide ores are converted to oxide before reduction because sulphides cannot be reduced easily, whereas oxides can be reduced more easily. This conversion makes the extraction process more efficient.

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