When metal rusts, a slow oxidation form such as spontaneous combustion like fire,?

Question

can the elements ever be converted back into metal? Or are they destroyed forever, and if so, what happens to the elements?

Answer 1

Rust can indeed be turned back into iron. Iron ore, in fact, is just soil high in iron oxide. The iron was deposited by ancient asteroid impacts when the earth was young, and has long since rusted away. I believe the procedure is to expose the oxide to high heat in the presence of charcoal (carbon). The carbon reacts with the oxygen, forming CO and CO2, and molten iron is left behind. Google smelting.

Answer 2

I'm not exactly sure. But I think that the reduction of the metal, back to their elemental state depends on the spontaneity of the reaction.

For eg: Iron oxide can be reduced to Fe by the reacn:
Fe2O3 + CO → 2Fe + CO2 (250°C)

The reacn is possible only because the reacn is spontaneous.

But conversion of Glucose to CO2 & H2O is not spontaneous in this case this is combined with the reduction of ADP to ATP ehich is a spontaneous reacn. This is known as coupling of reacn and in this way the entire reacn b'coms feasible.

The same can b used to convert various metal oxides to their metal states. Hope that helped!