Chemistry Project File

Effect of metal coupling on rusting

of iron

Submitted By: Priyanshu saroj

Class: XII -A
Submitted To: Soniya singh
 INDEX

1. Certificate
2. Acknowledgement
3. Introduction
4. Prevention
5. treatment
6. Coupling reaction
7. Experiment
8. Bibliography
 Certificate
It has been certified that Priyanshu saroj studying in
XII-A, during the academic year 2023 -2024 has
completed the project on the study of the effect of
metal coupling on the rusting of iron and has given
satisfactory account of this in his project report.
Mrs.soniya singh
(PGT Chemistry)

Signature
 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my gratitude to Mrs. soniya
singh, our chemistry teacher, whose help and
encouragement made this project possible.

Priyanshu Saroj
XII- 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 centre) 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 pair Colour of Nail rusts

the patch or not
1. Iron-zinc pink No
2. Iron-magn Pink No
esium
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
● www.scribd.com
● www.google.com
● Wikipedia