Is there a level of decomposition after rust? Or is there any way (either naturally or through processing) to return rusted iron to a deoxidized state?

Question

From my understanding, iron veins in mines are spotted by their bright red color due to rust on the exposed surface. Then when it’s refined, the rust separates as slag and is discarded, leaving the pure iron behind.

Is this accurate? Or does the refining process deoxidize iron while separating impurities?

In: 16

Answer 1

A more simple effect that I think people are overlooking is that iron expands when it rusts. This is why rusty metal starts to flake off. The forces that hold it together get weaker too. When the atoms of iron become oxidized molecules, they break free from the surrounding iron atoms. In short, when iron rusts you can’t just put it back exactly how it was by removing the oxygen. You can melt it back down and separate the iron and oxygen through various processes (mostly involving high temperatures or electricity).