How is Smelting Different Than Melting
                     How is Smelting Different Than Melting?
David Bowie
Writes for Bowie David’s Blog, 
Creates content to attract and engage 
visitors to 
Learn things about various topics.
Melting is a common phrase that we come across in day-to-day life. Technically, 
the physical process by which a substance transits from the solid to the liquid 
phase by application of heat is described as melting. But, people most often 
confuse melting with smelting. Though both the terms sound similar and their 
processes seem to match each other, both are different.
Smelting is the process of extracting metal from its ore by heating beyond the 
melting point. The base metal is extracted from the ore by a process involving heat 
and melting. This process uses heat and a chemical-reducing agent for 
decomposing the raw ore, eliminating other elements and leaving just the metal. 
Broadly, smelting is described as a form of extractive metallurgy for separating 
metal from its ore.
Smelting vs. Melting
Though smelting and melting are different, the processes share a similarity; both 
involve heating. Given the fact that scientifically both processes are different, here 
we bring a broad comparison of smelting and melting that distinguishes the 
processes from each other.
Smelting
Ores are naturally occurring solid materials from which valuable minerals or metals 
can be extracted. Smelting is broadly used in industrial sectors for extracting 
metals in their purest form from ores. This process involves chemicals and raw 
ores being heated to melt. Basically, the temperature is set beyond the melting 
point which helps to extract the metals from the raw materials in their purest form 
and the chemicals (reducing agents) used to wash out the residues like gases and 
slag (waste). This process just leaves the metal behind.
Smelting involves two main steps:
The 2 major steps involved in smelting – roasting and reduction are outlined below 
in summary in the next part of the article.
Roasting: In this step, the ore is heated beyond the melting point in the presence 
of excess air or oxygen. Generally, it is done at a high temperature above their 
melting point. This either reduces or oxidizes the metal. Roasting is done inside a 
furnace with high temperature which powers the reaction of combustion with redox 
reactions.
Reduction: In this step, the oxygen atoms are removed from the raw material. 
Generally, the reduction is done by carbon monoxide. The chemicals or reducing 
agents are used for washing out other elements from the ores. Most commonly, 
carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide are used as reducing agents. Limestone is 
commonly used for washing the impurities from the ores as waste.
Usage
As said, smelting is used for extracting a metal in its purest form from the raw ores, 
this process is used in the production of valuable metals like gold, silver, and other 
metals like copper, iron, etc.
Melting
Melting is a much simpler process by which a substance changes its phase from 
solid to liquid. This phase transition process is also called fusion. Heat is applied to 
the solid substance up to its melting point. This increases the internal energy of the 
substance. For the applied heat, the tight packing ions or molecules of the 
substance start loosening. A solid substance with a well-ordered structure reduces 
its configuration.
When the solid melts, the volume increases as the liquid has no tightly packed ions 
or molecules. Moreover, the density of the substance increases, with a few 
exceptions. The melting point of pure crystalline solid substances is fixed. 
However, impure substances melt at different temperatures and not at the melting 
point. The temperature at which impure substances start melting varies depending 
on the type and amount of impurities present in them.
In the process, the viscosity of the substance in its liquid state also changes when 
the applied temperature increases. The viscosity or the thickness of the liquid 
varies with the output requirements.
Usage
Generally, melting is done to mold a substance into a particular shape so that it 
can be used in various ways. We come across the melting process in our everyday 
life including in the kitchen. For instance, wax melts and molds into a candle of any 
desired shape and size or any other product as required.
About bowiedavid.info
Bowiedavid.info  is a  resource containing valuable and insightful information 
that is helpful to individuals to get clarity in understanding variety of subjects. 
It provides information on different topics including business, automotive, 
health, finance, technology etc. For more details on the categories, visit 
http://bowiedavid.info/.
         Thank you for spending your precious time in reading this article.