Study of the

Effect of Metal
Coupling on
the Rusting of
Iron
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to take this
opportunity to thank my
hemistry teaher! """"""""""!
#or enoura$in$ and $uidin$
me in my pro%et and #or $i&in$
&alua'le su$$estions( I shall
also thank our la' assistant
"""""""""( Without thankin$ my
parents #or their unwa&erin$
support this aknowled$ement
would 'e inomplete( Truly this
pro%et would not ha&e ome so
#ar without you people( I)m
inde'ted o# you all( In the end!
I hope my pro%et! howe&er
2
small! will make a si$ni*ant
di+erene in this world(
S.No. Contents II Page No.
I. Introduction 4
II. Aim Of The Project 6
III. Requirement 7
IV. Procedure 8
V. Observation 9
VI. Concusion 9
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VII. !ibio"ra#h$ %&
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 !orm
undesirable compounds on the sur!ace is "nown as
corrosion The compounds !ormed are usually oxides .
#usting is also a type o! corrosion but the term is
restricted to iron or products made !rom it .Iron is easily
prone to rusting ma"ing its sur!ace rough. Chemically rust
is a hydrated !erric oxide
Titanic$s bow exhibiting microbial corrosion damage in the
!orm o! $rusticles%
#usting an &lectrochemical Mechanism '
#usting may be explained by an electrochemical
mechanism. In the presence o! moist air containing
dissol(ed oxygen or carbon dioxide the commercial iron
beha(e as i! composed o! small electrical cells. )t anode o!
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cell iron passes into solution as !errous ions. The electron
mo(es towards the cathode and !orm hydroxyl ions. *nder
the in!luence o! dissol(ed oxygen the !errous ions and
hydroxyl ions interact to !orm rust i.e. hydrated !erric
oxide.
Methods o! Pre(ention o! Corrosion and #usting
Some o! the methods used to pre(ent corrosion and
rusting are discussed here :
+, -arrier Protection ' In the method a barrier !ilm is
introduced between iron sur!ace and atmospheric air. The
!ilm is obtained by painting(arnishing etc.
., /al(ani0ation ' The metallic iron is co(ered by a layer
o! more reacti(e metal such as 0inc. The acti(e metal
losses electrons in pre!erence o! iron. Thus protecting
!rom rusting and corrosion.
/al(ani0ed Metals
5
)im o! the pro1ect
In this pro1ect the aim is to in(estigate e!!ect o! the metals
coupling on the rusting o! iron. Metal coupling a!!ects the
rusting o! iron . I! the nail is coupled with a more electro2
positi(e metal li"e 0inc magnesium or aluminium rusting
is pre(ented but i! on the other hand it is coupled with
less electro 3 positi(e metals li"e copper the rusting is
!acilitated.
6
#e4uirement :
+,Two Petri dishes
., 5our test 3 tube
6, 5our iron nails
7, -ea"er
8, Sand paper
9,:ire gauge
;, /elatine
<, Copper 0inc = magnesium strips
>,Potassium !errocyanide solution
+?,Phenolphthalein
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Procedure
+,)t !irst we ha(e to clean the sur!ace o! iron nails with
the help o! sand paper.
., )!ter that we ha(e to wind 0inc strip around one nail a
clean copper wire around the second = clean magnesium
strip around the third nail. Then to put all these three and
a !ourth nail in Petri dishes so that they are not in contact
with each other.
6, Then to !ill the Petri dishes with hot agar solution in
such a way that only lower hal! o! the nails are co(ered
with the li4uids .Co(ered Petri dishes !or one day or so.
7, The li4uids set to a gel on cooling. Two types o! patches
are obser(ed around the rusted nail one is blue and the
other pin". -lue patch is due to the !ormation o! potassium
!erro2!erricyanide where pin" patch is due to the !ormation
o! hydroxyl ions which turns colourless phenolphthalein to
pin".
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@bser(ation
S.No. Metal Pair Colour o! the
patch
Nails rusts or
not
+ Iron2 Ainc
. Iron 2Magnesium
6 Iron2 Copper
7 Iron 3 Nail
Conclusion
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It is clear !rom the obser(ation that coupling o! iron with
more electropositi(e metals such as 0inc and magnesium
resists corrosion and rusting o! iron. Coupling o! iron with
less electropositi(e metals such as copper increases
rusting.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
•NCERT CHEMISTRY XII
•ENCARTA
ENCYCLOPEDIA 2009
•www.wikipedia.!"
•www.a#$we%$.!"
•www.&!!&'e.!"
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