Deoxidation
The process of removing dissolved oxygen out of molten metals (mostly steel and other iron-based alloys), that is a detrimental impurity degrading the metal’s mechanical properties. Elements (or their alloys, such as ferroalloys), that have a higher oxygen affinity than the base metal, are used in deoxidation. For example, ferrochrome is deoxidized by aluminum, the latter forming a very strong Al2O3 oxide, separating as a solid phase out of the liquid metal.