Answer to Question #3256 in Physical Chemistry for aditya

Question

What are industrial applications of redox reactions?

Answer 1

Metallurgical processes.
Metal oxides are reduced to metals using suitable reducing agents. For example Fe2O3 is reduced to iron in a blast furnace using coke. Al2O3 is reduced to aluminium by cathodic reduction in an electrolytic cell
Combustion of fuels and foods.
Combustion of fuels is an oxidation reaction. Fuels are the most important source of energy that meets our daily needs. On combustion (oxidation accompanied by heat and light) they produce heat and light energies.
Fuels (wood, gas, kerosene, petrol) energy
In living cells, glucose, C6H12O6 is oxidized to CO2 and water in the presence of oxygen and energy is released. This energy is utilized by the body for doing physical and mental work.
Energy generation.
Many electrochemical cells based on redox reactions are used for generating electricity. For example, electrical energy for space
applications is met out of reaction between hydrogen and oxygen used in fuel cells, with hydrogen and oxygen electrodes.