text: Minerals are generally oxidized derivatives of metals.  Iron is mined as its magnetite (FeO).  Titanium is mined as its dioxide, usually in the form of rutile (TiO). To obtain the corresponding metals, these oxides must be reduced, which is often achieved by heating these oxides with carbon or carbon monoxide as reducing agents. Blast furnaces are the reactors where iron oxides and coke (a form of carbon) are combined to produce molten iron.The main chemical reaction producing the molten iron is: