# Titanium is a metal used in aircraft manufacture. It cannot be extracted from its ore by reduction with carbon, and electrolysis is not used commercially for its extraction. Instead, titanium is extracted by displacement using a more reactive metal, sodium. Explain why reduction with carbon cannot be used to extract titanium, and describe how the reactivity series is used in the displacement method to extract titanium from titanium chloride using sodium.

> Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (1CH0) — 4.1 Obtaining and using metals · Explain · 4 marks

> Titanium is a highly valuable metal used in the aerospace industry. Its extraction is more complex and costly than the extraction of metals such as iron or zinc.

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Titanium is more reactive than carbon, so carbon cannot reduce titanium compounds / carbon cannot displace titanium from its ore.
2. Reduction with carbon only works when the metal is less reactive than carbon (i.e. carbon must be above the metal in the reactivity series).
3. Sodium is more reactive than titanium / sodium is above titanium in the reactivity series, so sodium can displace titanium.
4. Sodium displaces titanium from titanium chloride, producing titanium metal and sodium chloride.

## Key terms

- [reactivity series](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/reactivity-series)
- [displacement](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/displacement)
- [reduction with carbon](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/reduction-with-carbon)
- [reduction](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/reduction)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (1CH0)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/titanium-is-a-metal-used-in-3482839c) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.