Calcination and Roasting - Practice Questions & MCQ

Calcination
Calcination is the process of heating the ores below their melting points in absence of air to remove volatile impurities like water, CO₂ and organic
matter etc.

For example:

Limestone        Calcium
                       oxide

   Bauxite                 Alumina

During calcination the ore becomes porous, volatile impurities are removed and carbonate ore decomposes into oxides.

Roasting
Roasting is the process of heating the ore in excess of air in order to convert metals into their oxides and water-insoluble sulphides into water-soluble sulphates. It is also called de-electronation of ores.

For example:

Pyrite

Cinnabar

Zinc Sulphide

Lead Sulphide

During roasting volatile impurities are removed, S, As, Sb are removed as SO₂, As₂O₃, Sb₂O₃ respectively and sulphides ores are converted into their oxides.

NOTE: Both calcination and roasting occur in a mainly reverberatory furnaces.