Question

What is Carbon Reduction Process

Answer 1

The metal oxide loses oxygen, and is therefore reduced. The carbon gains oxygen, and is therefore oxidised. The source of carbon for this reduction is coke, obtained by heating coal in the absence of oxygen. ... Some metals, such as aluminium, are so reactive that their oxides cannot be reduced by carbon.

Answer 2

An activity series for metals places the metals in order of their activity (or reactivity) from most active (or reactive) to least active (or reactive).The more active (or reactive) a metal is, the more stable the compound it forms and the greater the energy required to produce the metal from its ore.Very active metals (Group 1, Group 2 and aluminium) require electrolysis to extract the metal while very inactive metals like gold and silver can occur in nature as the element so require no energy to extract the metal.Transition metals can often be extracted from their ores by heating the ore with a suitable reducing agent in a process known as thermal reduction.most reactive elements
(Group 1, Group 2, aluminium)→ → → → → → → → → → → → → → 
(transition metals)least reactive elements
(Noble Metals)potassium>calcium>sodium>magnesium>aluminium>zinc>iron>nickel>tin>lead>copper>silver>goldelectrolysisthermal reduction of oxidenative elementsCarbon can be used as reducing agent for transition metal oxides because carbon is more active than the transition metals in the ores:most reactive elements → → → → → → → → → →→ → → → → → → → → → → →least reactive elementspotassium>calcium>sodium>magnesium>aluminiumcarbon>zinc>iron>nickel>tin>lead>copper>silver>goldThe general equation for the reactions in which metal oxides are reduced by heating with carbon:metal oxide + carbon → metal + carbon dioxide* 
or 
metal oxide + carbon → metal + carbon monoxide**Metal is reduced from a positive oxidation state in the metal oxide to the metallic element.Carbon is oxidized from elemental carbon to an oxide of carbon in which carbon is in a positive oxidation state (has a positive oxidation number).