Chemistry Project File

Effect of Metal Coupling on Rusting

of Iron

Index
TOPIC PAGE NO.
 Certificate
 Acknowledgement
 Introduction
 Prevention
 Treatment
 Coupling Reaction
 Experiment
 Bibliography
 Certificate
It has been certified that ARYAN KISHORE studying in
12-A, during the academic year 2018-2019 has
completed the project on the EFFECT OF METAL
COUPLING ON RUSTING OF IRON and has given
satisfactory account of this in his project report.

Mrs. Ruby Ignatius Sister Sheeba

(PGT Chemistry) (Principal)

Signature Signature
 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my gratitude to Mrs. Ruby
Ignatius, our chemistry teacher, and Mrs. Poornima
Nair, our lab incharge, whose guidance and
encouragement made this project possible. I’ll always
be grateful to them.

ARYAN KISHORE
ROLL NO:
12-A
 Introduction
Metals and alloys undergo rusting and corrosion. The
process by which some metals when exposed to
atmospheric condition i.e. moist air, carbon dioxide
form undesirable compounds on the surface is known
as corrosion. The compounds formed are usually
oxides. Rusting is also a type of corrosion but the term
is restricted to iron or products made from it. Iron is
easily prone to rusting making it surface rough.
Chemically, rust is a hydrated ferric oxide.
Rust is formed by the redox reaction of iron and oxygen
in the presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists
of hydrated iron (III) oxides Fe2O3.nH2O and iron (III)
oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH), Fe(OH)3).
Rust is another name for iron oxide, which occurs when
iron or an alloy that contains iron, like steel, is exposed
to oxygen and moisture for a long period of time. Over
time, the oxygen combines with the metal at an atomic
level, forming a new compound called an oxide and
weakening the bonds of the metals itself.
Rusting may be explained by an electrochemical
mechanism. In the presence of moist air containing
dissolved oxygen or carbon dioxide, the commercial
iron behaves as if composed of small electrical cells. At
anode of cell, iron passes into solution as ferrous ions.
Fe Fe2+ + 2e-
The electrons from the above reaction move towards
the cathode and form hydroxyl ions
H2O + (O) + 2e- 2OH-
Under the influence of dissolved oxygen the ferrous ions
and hydroxyl ions interact to form rust, i.e., hydrated
ferric oxide.
2Fe2+ + H2O + (O) 2Fe3+ + 2OH-
2Fe3+ + 6OH- Fe2O3.3H2O or 2Fe(OH)3
(Rust)
If supply of oxygen is limited the corrosion product may
be black anhydrous magnetite, Fe3
 Prevention
Rust is permeable to air and water, therefore the
interior metallic iron beneath a rust layer continues to
corrode. Rust prevention thus requires coatings that
preclude rust formation.
Some of the methods used to prevent corrosion and
rusting are discussed here:

 Galvanization:
The metallic iron is covered by a layer of more active
metal such as zinc. The active metal loses electrons in
preference to iron.
Zn Zn2+ + 2e-
Thus, protecting iron from rusting and corrosion.

Coatings and Paintings:

Rust formation can be controlled with coatings, such as
paint, lacquer, or varnish that isolate the iron from the
environment.

 Inhibitors:
Corrosion inhibitors, such as gas-phase or violate
inhibitors, can be used to prevent corrosion inside
sealed systems. They are not effective when air
circulation disperses them, and brings in fresh oxygen
and moisture.

 Humidity control:
Rust can be avoided by controlling the moisture in the
use of silica gel packets to control humidity in
equipment shipped by sea.
 Treatment

Rust removal from small iron or steel objects by

electrolysis can be done in a home workshop using
simple materials such as plastic bucket, tap water,
lengths of rebar, washing soda, baling wire, and a
battery charger.
Rust may be treated with commercial products
known as rust converter which contain tannic acid
which combines with rust.
 Coupling reaction

A coupling reaction in organic chemistry is a

general term for a variety of reactions where two
fragments are coupled with an aid of metal
catalyst. In one important reaction type a main
group organometallic compound of the type RM(R=
organic fragment, M= main group center) reacts
with an organic halide of the type R’X with
formation of a new carbon-carbon bond in the
product R-R’.
  Catalysts involved in metal coupling reaction:
The most common catalyst is palladium, but an
increasing number of reactions use nickel. Other
catalysts include copper, platinum, iron, cobalt,
and amines.

Experiment
 Aim:
To study the effect of metal coupling on rusting of
iron.

 Requirements:
Two petridishes, four test tubes, four iron nails,
beaker, sand paper, wire gauge. Gelatin, copper,
zinc, magnesium strips, potassium ferricyanide
solution, phenolphthalein.
 Procedure:
Clean the surface of iron nails with the help of
sand paper. Wash them with carbon
tetrachloride and dry on filter paper.
Wind a clean zinc strip around one nail, a clean
copper wire around the second and clean
magnesium strip around the third nail. Put all
these third and a fourth nail in petridishes so
that they are not in contact with each other.
Preparation of agar agar solution: Heat about 3gm of
agar agar in 100ml of water taken in a beaker
until solution becomes clear. Add about 1ml of
0.1M potassium ferri-cyanide solution, 1ml of
phenol-phthalein solution and stir well the
contents.
Fill the petridishes with hot agar agar solution
in such a way that only lower half of the nails
are covered with the liquids.
Keep the covered petridishes undisturbed for
one day or so.
The liquid sets to a gel on cooling. Two types of
patches are observed around the rusted nail,
one is blue and the other is pink. Blue patch is
due to the reaction between ferrous ions and
potassium ferricyanide, to form potassium
Ferro-ferricyanide, KFe [Fe(CN)6] whereas pink
patch is due to the formation of hydroxyl ions
which turns colorless phenolphthalein to pink.

 Observations:

S.No. METAL COLOR OF RUSTING

PAIR THE PATCH OBSERVED
1. Iron-Zinc Pink No
2. Iron- Pink No
Magnesium
3. Iron-Copper Blue Yes
4. Iron -Nail Blue Yes
  Conclusion:
It is clear from the observations that coupling of
iron with more electropositive metal such as zinc
and magnesium resists corrosion and rusting of
iron. Coupling of iron with less electropositive
metal such as copper increases rusting.

Bibliography:
NCERT Chemistry – XII
Comprehensive Practical Chemistry – XII
www.scribd.com
www.google.com
Wikipedia
Together With Chemistry Practical Lab Manual