Iron is typically extracted from iron ore, a type of rock that contains iron oxides. The process of extracting iron from iron ore involves several steps:
1. *Mining*: Iron ore is extracted from the earth through open-pit or underground mining.
2. *Crushing*: The extracted ore is crushed into smaller pieces to increase its surface area.
3. *Grinding*: The crushed ore is ground into a fine powder to release the iron minerals.
4. *Magnetic separation*: Iron minerals are separated from other minerals using magnetic properties.
5. *Smelting*: Iron ore is heated in a furnace with coke (a form of carbon) and limestone to produce pig iron.
6. *Refining*: Pig iron is further refined to produce pure iron or steel.
Iron ore is a finite resource, and its extraction and processing have environmental and social implications. However, iron remains a vital material in modern society, used in a wide range of applications.
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