It can reduce zinc oxide. CO Zinc metal Carbon monooxide 2. Reduction with aluminium by thermite process Metals which are too active to be obtained by reduction of their oxides with carbon are reduced using aluminium, which is a more powerful reducing agent. Chromium and manganese oxides are reduced using aluminum. This reaction is highly exothermic.
Electrolytic reduction is the process used to extract the above metals.
The cathode acts as a powerful reducing agent by supplying electrons to reduce the metal ions into metal. The box itself is the cathode. The aluminium ions are reduced by the cathode. This process ensures the separation of even the residual impurities from the extracted metals. Refining methods are different for different metals.