Chemistry Project File

Effect of metal coupling

rusting on
of iron
Submitted
Class: XII By: Priyanshu saroj
-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- 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
• www.scribd.com
• www.google.com
• Wikipedia