RUSTING AND CORROSION

Know the conditions in which Iron rusts

Conditions for Iron to Rust
Rust: A chemical reaction between Iron, Water and Oxygen to form Iron (III) Oxide. The
corrosion of iron.

 Conditions: Oxygen and Water must be present for rust to occur

 Presence of sodium chloride increases speed of rusting

Iron    +    Water    +    Oxygen    →    Hydrated Iron (III) Oxide

4Fe (s) + 3O2 (g) + 2xH2O (l) → 2Fe2O3xH2O (s)

The requirements of Oxygen and Water for rust to occur

Specification Point 2.19:

Understand how the Rusting of Iron may be prevented by: Barrier Methods,
Galvanising, Sacrificial protection
Prevention of Rust
1. Barrier Methods:

 Rust can be prevented by coating iron with barriers that prevent the Iron from coming
into contact with water and Oxygen.
  However, if the coatings are washed away or scratched, the Iron is once again exposed to
water and Oxygen and will rust.

2. Galvanising / Sacrificial Protection:

 Iron can be prevented from rusting using the reactivity series.

 Galvanising is when the iron is coated with a layer of zinc. ZnCO 3 is formed when zinc
reacts with oxygen in the air. This protects the iron by barrier method.
 If the coating is damaged or scratched, the iron is still protected from rusting by the
sacrificial method (magnesium can also be used).
 This is because zinc is more reactive than iron so it reacts with oxygen and water and
corrodes instead of the iron.

Example: Sacrificial Anode

Zinc Blocks Attached to the Hull of Ships so they will Corrode instead of the Hull

Copper Alloys

 Bronze is an alloy made of copper and tin. It is harder than copper and is used to make
ornaments and medals.
 Brass is a common example of an alloy which contains 70% copper and 30% zinc. It is
decorative and corrosion resistant and is used for low friction ornamental purposes such
as plumbing and carpentry fittings.
 Brass is used extensively in modern kitchen and bathroom fittings

Gold Alloys

 Gold alloys are used to make jewellery.

 Gold metal is relatively soft and malleable so other metals such as copper, zinc and silver
are added to provide strength and toughness.
 Carats are used to express the purity of gold jewellery.
 Pure gold with nothing else added is said to be 24 carat.
 A 12 carat piece of gold jewellery therefore contains 50% gold.
 For example a 12 carat necklace that weighs 50g contains 25 grams of gold.

Rose, yellow and white gold are alloys of gold with varying proportions of Cu, Pd and Ag