Chemistry

Refining of Metals :
The metal obtained from the ore is not pure. It contains various substances as impurities. The process of removing these impurities is called refining of the metal. Some of the methods generally applied for refining metals are discussed below.
1. Liquation : This process is used to separate metals of low melting points (e.g., tin and lead) from the metals of high melting points.

In this process, a sloping hearth is used. The hearth is kept at a temperature a little above the melting point of the metal. The impure metal is placed at the top of the hearth. The metal melts and flows down the hearth. The infusible impurities are left behind. This method is used in the purification of tin.
2. Cupellation : This method is used to purify silver, containing lead as an impurity. The impure silver is heated in the presence of air in a vessel made of bone-ash. This vessel is called cupel. Lead is oxidized to lead monoxide. Most of the lead monoxide is carried away in the blast of air. The remaining portion of the lead monoxide melts and is absorbed by the bone-ash. Pure silver is left behind.
3. Poling : Copper is purified by this method. The molten impure copper (called blister copper) is stirred thoroughly with poles of green wood. The gases escaping from the poles reduce the oxide of metal to the metal. The surface of the molten copper is kept covered with powdered charcoal so that copper may not be reoxidized in contact with air.
4. Electrolytic refining : This method is widely used for purification of metals. Several metals such as aluminium, copper, tin, lead, gold, zinc and chromium are purified by this method. The impure metal is made the anode while a strip of pure metal acts as the cathode. A solution of the salt of the metal acts as the electrolyte.

On passing electric current through the solution, pure metal gets deposited on the cathode. The more reactive impurities present in the metal to be purified go into solution and remain there. The less reactive impurities fall to the bottom of the electrolytic cell.