During the industrial extraction of titanium, titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2\text{TiO}_2TiO2) is converted to titanium(IV) chloride (TiCl4\text{TiCl}_4TiCl4), which is then reduced to titanium metal using magnesium at high temperatures.
Which statement correctly explains a chemical or industrial aspect of this extraction process?
The reduction of TiCl4\text{TiCl}_4TiCl4 is carried out under an atmosphere of argon to prevent the magnesium and titanium from reacting with oxygen or nitrogen in the air.
Magnesium acts as an oxidising agent in this process because it accepts electrons from the titanium(IV) species.
Titanium(IV) chloride (TiCl4\text{TiCl}_4TiCl4) is an ionic solid with a high melting point, which must be melted before the reduction can take place.
The extraction of titanium is a highly efficient continuous process, which keeps the cost of the metal relatively low.
110 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 5.1 Obtaining and using metals, covering 5.1.1 The reactivity series of metals, 5.1.2 Displacement reactions as redox reactions, 5.1.3 Extracting metals from ores by reduction, 5.1.4 Biological methods of metal extraction, 5.1.5 Resistance to oxidation and recycling metals, and 5.1.6 Life cycle assessment. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.