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Iron ores consist of oxygen and iron atoms bonded together into molecules. To convert it to metallic iron it must be smelted or sent through a direct reduction process to remove the oxygen. Oxygen iron bonds are strong, and to remove the iron from the oxygen, a stronger elemental bond must be presented to attach to the oxygen. Carbon is used because the strength of a carbon oxygen bond is greater than that of the iron oxygen bond, at high temperatures. Thus, the iron ore must be powdered and mixed with coke, to be bu
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