In the industrial extraction of titanium from titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2TiO_2TiO2), carbon cannot be used as the reducing agent in a single-step thermal reduction. Instead, a multi-step process involving the reduction of purified titanium(IV) chloride (TiCl4TiCl_4TiCl4) with magnesium is employed under an inert argon atmosphere.
Which of the following statements correctly identifies the chemical reason for one of these process requirements?
Carbon reduction of TiO2TiO_2TiO2 is avoided because it produces titanium carbide (TiCTiCTiC), which renders the titanium metal brittle.
An atmosphere of nitrogen gas is used instead of argon because nitrogen is cheaper and completely unreactive towards hot titanium.
Titanium(IV) chloride (TiCl4TiCl_4TiCl4) is a giant ionic lattice with a high melting point, requiring high temperatures to keep it liquid during reduction.
Magnesium acts as the reducing agent because it has a more positive standard electrode potential (EθE^\thetaEθ) than titanium.
Practise Edexcel GCSE Chemistry Obtaining and using metals with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 100 questions, matched to the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (1CH0) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.