Editing Metal (section)

===Extraction===
{{main|Ore|Mining|Extractive metallurgy}}
Metallic elements are often extracted from the Earth by mining ores that are rich sources of the requisite elements, such as [[bauxite]]. Ores are located by [[prospecting]] techniques, followed by the exploration and examination of deposits. Mineral sources are generally divided into [[surface mining|surface mines]], which are mined by excavation using heavy equipment, and [[underground mining (hard rock)|subsurface mines]]. In some cases, the sale price of the metal(s) involved make it economically feasible to mine lower concentration sources.

Once the ore is mined, the elements must be [[extractive metallurgy|extracted]], usually by chemical or electrolytic reduction. [[Pyrometallurgy]] uses high temperatures to convert ore into raw metals, while [[hydrometallurgy]] employs [[aqueous]] chemistry for the same purpose.

When a metallic ore is an ionic compound, the ore must usually be [[smelting|smelted]]—heated with a reducing agent—to extract the pure metal. Many common metals, such as iron, are smelted using [[carbon]] as a reducing agent. Some metals, such as aluminium and [[sodium]], have no commercially practical reducing agent, and are extracted using [[electrolysis]] instead.<ref name="losal">{{cite web |url=https://periodic.lanl.gov/11.shtml |title=Los Alamos National Laboratory – Sodium |access-date=2007-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://periodic.lanl.gov/13.shtml |title=Los Alamos National Laboratory – Aluminum |access-date=2007-06-08}}</ref>

[[Sulfide]] ores are not reduced directly to the metal but are roasted in air to convert them to oxides.