Question

Carbon monoxide is more effective reducing agent than carbon below 983K but above this temperature the reverse is true. Explain

Answer 1

Both thermodynamic and Kinetic factors make carbon monoxide (CO) a better reducing agent than carbon. When coke and coal is used to reduce a metal oxide,it oxidized to CO . But when CO is the reducing agent, the process becomes a solid-gas interaction that is more vibrant effective at a high temperature.