STPM CHEMISTRY 2016

THEME: Chemistry in daily life

Class: PU16SN1/2
1) JAYASIVAN S/O SAMBHASIVAM [Leader]
2) KOGESWARAN S/O BALASUBRAMANIAM
3) ISAIYAH RAJAN S/O AROKIASAMY
What is metal corrosion?
 Metal corrosion is the deterioration of materials by chemical
interaction with the environment.
 A metal corrosion is a natural process, which a metal will convert itself
to a more stable form

 water or moisture in the air

What causes the corrosion?
 acids
 bases
 salts
 aggressive metal
Does metal occurs in natural as PURE form?

 Most of the metal does not occur in nature in pure form, except gold,
platinum and silver.

How to get pure metal?

www.essentialchemicalindustry.org www.electrical4u.com

blast furnace electrolysis

Advantages of metal corrosion
 Protective layer
Surface corrosion will forms an oxide layer which will protects the metal
instead of being corroded.

Aluminium
Oxide

www.open.edu
 Disadvantages!
 Reduce the strength of the structure
 Causing tetanus
 Reduce the beauty or attractiveness of gadget and devices

www.leopardantiques.com www.reddit.com
Research Question
 How does the pH affect the rate of corrosion?
 What is the rate of corrosion of different metal?
 How does the oxide layer on the surface of the metal affect the rate
of corrosion of metal?
Problem Statement
 The rate of corrosion of the metal is affected by the pH medium. The
rate of corrosion could be calculated by measuring the weight loss of
the metal.
Objective of research
 To determine the effect of pH on rate of corrosion

 To determine the rate of corrosion of different metal

 To determine the effect of oxide layer on the surface of metal

against the rate of corrosion of metal
Limitation of study
 The electronic balance is not sensitive enough to measure the small
weight loss of the metal.

 The time taken for the experiment is short.

 The temperature for the experiment is not controlled.

 The removing process of the corroded metal is not standard due to

the limit of chemical in lab.
Experiment

i. THE EFFECT OF pH ON RATE OF CORROSION

ii. THE RATE OF CORROSION ON DIFFERENT METAL

iii. THE RATE OF CORROSION ON DIFFERENT METAL WITH

OXIDE LAYER
Experiment I

THE EFFECT OF pH ON RATE OF

CORROSION
 THE EFFECT OF pH ON RATE OF
CORROSION
 Apparatus: 250 cm3 beaker, forceps, hair drier, sandpaper, electronic

balance, meter rule, scissors, 50cm3 measuring cylinder, pH meter

 Material: Lead strips x 5 (2cm x 5cm), 0.01 moldm-3 HNO3 solution,

1.0×10-5 moldm-3 HNO3 solution, distilled water, 0.01 moldm-3 NaOH

solution and 1.0×10-5 moldm-3 NaOH

PROCEDURE
1. The 5 lead strips are cleaned using sandpaper.
2. The 5 lead strips are immersed into acetone solution and dry using
a hair drier.
3. The mass and the area of the 5 lead strips are measured using
electronic balance and meter rule.
4. The pH of solution for beaker A to E which contain 0.01 moldm-3
HNO3 solution, 1.0×10-5 moldm-3 HNO3 solution, distilled water,
0.01 moldm-3 NaOH solution and 1.0×10-5 moldm-3 NaOH
solution respectively are measured using pH meter.
5. The 5 lead strips are immersed into the 5 solution respectively and
the time is recorded.
6. The 5 lead strips are taken out from the solution on the second days
and the time was recorded
7. The 5 lead strips are then immersed in 0.17 moldm-3 CH3COOH
solution for 5 minutes.
8. The 5 lead strips are then immersed in acetone solution and dry
using a hair drier.
9. The mass of lead strips are measured using electronic balance.
10. The data was tabulated.
 TABLE
Metal pH Initial Final Weight Initial Final Time Rate of
Weight(g) Weight(g) loss (g) time time taken corrosio
(min) n
(mm/y)
Pb 2.0 1.33 1.25 0.08 12:12 11:35 1403 0.264

Pb 6.4 1.28 1.25 0.03 12:12 11:30 1398 0.099

Pb 7.2 1.30 1.27 0.03 12:12 11:25 1393 0.100

Pb 9.7 1.34 1.33 0.01 12:12 11:25 1402 0.033

Pb 11.6 1.33 1.34 -0.01 12:12 11:34 1400 -0.033

Graph
Deduction
Graph 1 show that the rate of corrosion decrease as pH increase. The
increase of weight of lead strips at pH 11.6 show that lead strip started to
form a protective layer on its surface.

The rate of corrosion increases as pH decreases is due to when metal is

immersed in solution with lower pH (higher concentration of H+ ions),
electrons can react with hydrogen ions adsorbed on the metal surface
from the solution to produce hydrogen gas
2H+ + 2e- ⇌ H2

The occurrence of the reaction permits the continues passage of an

equivalent quantity of metal ions into solution, leading the faster rate of
corrosion of metal.
 EXPERIMENT II

THE RATE OF CORROSION ON

DIFFERENT METAL
 THE RATE OF CORROSION ON DIFFERENT
METAL
Apparatus: 250 cm3 beaker, forceps, hair drier, sandpaper, electronic
balance, meter rule, scissors, 50cm3 measuring cylinder, pH meter

Material: lead strip, zinc strip, tin strip, copper strip, aluminum strip (2cm x
5cm) and 0.01 moldm-3 HNO3 solution
PROCEDURE
1. The lead strip, zinc strip, tin strip, copper strip and aluminum strip
are cleaned using sandpaper.
2. The 5 metal strips are immersed into acetone solution and dry using
a hair drier.
3. The mass and the area of the 5 lead strips are measured using
electronic balance and meter rule.
4. The pH of the solution in beaker A to E which contain 0.01 moldm-3
HNO3 solution are measured using pH meter.
5. The 5 metal strips are immersed into the 5 solution respectively and
the time is recorded.
7. 5 metals strip are immersed into different type of solution with
different time.

TYPE OF METALS STRIPS TYPE OF SOLUTION TIME

lead 0.17 moldm-3 CH3COOH solution 5 minutes
aluminum 1.0 moldm-3 HNO3 solution 2 minutes
copper 1.8 moldm-3 H2SO4 solution 2 minutes
tin 0.6 moldm-3 HCl solution 10 minutes
8. The 5 metal strips are then immersed in acetone solution and dry
using
zincastrip
hair drier. 1.02 moldm-3 HCl solution 0.25 minutes
9. The mass of the 5 metal strips are measured using electronic
balance.
10. The data was tabulated.
 TABLE

Metal pH Initial Final Weight Initial Final Time Rate of

Weight(g) Weight(g) loss (g) time time taken corrosio
(min) n (mm/y)

Pb 2.0 1.55 1.40 0.15 11:50 11:33 2863 0.242

Zn 2.0 1.54 1.52 0.02 11:50 11:36 2866 0.051

Sn 2.0 3.15 3.07 0.08 11:50 11:50 2880 0.201

Cu 2.0 0.80 0.78 0.02 11:50 11:48 2878 0.041

Al 2.0 0.30 0.29 0.01 11:50 11:43 2873 0.067

Graph

The rate of corrosion against type of metal (with polishing)

 Deduction
Metal E˚ value (V)
Graph 2 shows that the rate of
corrosion of lead, zinc, tin, copper
Al ⇌ Al3++3e- +1.66
and aluminum metal are different
in acidic condition (pH 2). The rate
Zn ⇌ Zn2+ +2e +0.76
of corrosion of lead is the highest
followed by tin, aluminum, zinc Sn ⇌ Sn2++2e +0.13

and lastly copper. By relating the

rate of corrosion to the E˚ value for Pb ⇌ Pb2++2e +0.13

the metal:
Cu ⇌ Cu2++2e -0.34

The S.E.P. and Redox Potential at 298K

Deduction
From the table above, it shows that the stability of the metal compare to
metal ion of Cu> Pb> Sn> Zn> Al which is differ from the rate of corrosion
of the metal which shows Cu< Zn< Al< Sn< Pb.

The abnormal behavior of the metal are most probably cause by the
oxidizing of aluminum strip before immersed in the acid and the zinc
strip is not well cleaned due to the absent of corrosion inhibit specimen.
 EXPERIMENT III

THE RATE OF CORROSION ON DIFFERENT

METAL WITH OXIDE LAYER
 THE RATE OF CORROSION ON DIFFERENT METAL
WITH OXIDE LAYER

Apparatus: 250 cm-3 beaker, forceps, hair drier, electronic balance,

meter rule, scissors, 50cm-3 measuring cylinder, pH meter

Material: lead strip, zinc strip, tin strip, copper strip, aluminum strip (2cm x
5cm) and 0.01 moldm-3 HNO3 solution
PROCEDURE
1. The lead strip, zinc strip, tin strip, copper strip and aluminum strip
are prepared
2. The 5 metal strips are immersed into acetone solution and dry using
a hair drier.
3. The mass and the area of the 5 lead strips are measured using
electronic balance and meter rule.
4. The pH of the solution in beaker A to E which contain 0.01 moldm-3
HNO3 solution are measured using pH meter.
5. The 5 metal strips are immersed into the 5 solution respectively and
the time is recorded.
7. 5 metals strip are immersed into different type of solution with
different time.

TYPE OF METALS STRIPS TYPE OF SOLUTION TIME

lead 0.17 moldm-3 CH3COOH solution 5 minutes
aluminum 1.0 moldm-3 HNO3 solution 2 minutes
copper 1.8 moldm-3 H2SO4 solution 2 minutes
tin 0.6 moldm-3 HCl solution 10 minutes
zinc strip 1.02 moldm-3 HCl solution 0.25 minutes
8. The 5 metal strips are then immersed in acetone solution and dry
using a hair drier.
9. The mass of the 5 metal strips are measured using electronic
balance.
10. The data was tabulated.
Snapchat-2292876068090922376.mp4
TABLE
Metal pH Initial Final Weight Initial Final Time Rate of
Weight(g) Weight(g) loss (g) time time taken corrosio
(min) n (mm/y)

Pb 2.0 1.83 1.77 0.06 12:25 10:42 2777 0.100

Zn 2.0 1.62 1.60 0.02 12:25 10:47 2782 0.052

Sn 2.0 3.00 2.96 0.04 12:25 10:49 2784 0.103

Cu 2.0 0.96 0.94 0.02 12:25 10:38 2773 0.042

Al 2.0 0.30 0.30 0 12:25 10:50 2785 0

Graph

The rate of corrosion against type of metal (without polishing)

 Compare THE GRAPH!
 Graph 3 show that the rate of corrosion
of Al, Sn and Pb have a great decrease
if the metal strips are not polished before
immersed into solution.
 The decreases of the rate of corrosion
show that the protective layer of lead,
tin, and aluminum is very effective for
protecting the metal from being
corroded.
 The protective layer of aluminum has
fully protected aluminum from corrode
and the protective layer of lead and tin
has decreased the rate of corrosion of
the metal by 41% and 51% respectively.
 But zinc and copper have no significant
change on rate of corrosion and it may
due to the metal does not form
protective layer or the protective layer
of the metal will dissolve easily under
acidic condition.
The rate of corrosion against type of metal
Deduction
By referring to the Eh-pH graph, it
shows that the Pb2+ is the predominant
species to occur when Pb is immersed
with H2O solution at pH 2. Thus we can
predict that the lead metal have react
with nitric acid ,HNO3 to form lead(II)
nitrate, Pb(NO3)2 ,nitrogen dioxide, NO2
and water. The lead(II) nitrate,
Pb(NO3)2 will then dissolve in water to
form Pb2+ and NO3- which is colourless.
3Pb + 8HNO3 → 3Pb(NO3)2 + 4H2O +
2NO
Pb(NO3)2 → Pb2+ + 2NO3-

Pourbaix Diagram: Eh-pH graph for Lead

Deduction

 PbO is not form in this experiment is due to distilled water was used in
this experiment and the diffusion rate of oxygen into water is low. The
low concentration of oxygen causes the formation of PbO does not
happen or not significant to be detected by naked eyes.

Figure 1:
Lead
Figure 2:
metal
Corroded
immersed
Lead
in pH 2
solution
Deduction
The lead metal strips sample which is
immersed into solution with pH 6.4 and 7.2.
Figure 3:
The Eh-pH diagram shows that the
Lead metal
predominant species that will form is PbCO3
immersed
in pH 6.4 which is an insoluble white solid. The carbon

solution dioxide in air react with water forming

carbonic acid, H2CO3 which is then
dissociate into hydrogen ion, H+ and also
carbonate ion, CO32-

CO2 + H2O ⇌ H2CO3

Figure 4:
Lead metal H2CO3 ⇌ 2H+ + CO32-
immersed The carbonate ion is then react with lead(II)
in pH 7.2
ion which is form from the corrosion of lead
solution
metal by water to form lead(II) carbonate,
PbCO3.
Deduction
While at pH 9.7, due to the higher
Figure 5: concentration of hydroxide ion,
Lead
OH- , basic lead carbonate,
metal
immersed Pb3(CO3)2(OH) 2 or sometime
in pH 9.7
written as 2PbCO3·Pb(OH) 2 is
solution
formed which is in white powder
form is formed instead of lead(II)
carbonate, PbCO3.
 Deduction
Time Rate of
Initial Final Weight loss Initial Final
Metal pH taken corrosion
Weight(g) Weight(g) (g) time time
(min) (mm/y)

Pb 11.6 1.33 1.34 -0.01 12:12 11:34 1400 -0.033

THE EFFECT OF pH ON RATE OF CORROSION

But at pH 11.6 the lead metal does

Figure 6: not corrode at all but only forming
Lead metal
immersed in a layer of dull grayish colour of
pH 11.6 tarnished lead which protect it
solution
from corrosion.
Deduction
Due to the low rate of corrosion of
Figure 7: copper and aluminum metal, the
Copper product formed is unable to be
metal predicted. Theoretically, copper will
immersed react with nitric acid to form nitrogen
in pH 2 monoxide, NO2, water and copper
solution nitrate, Cu(NO3)2 forming a green
solution while aluminum react with nitric
acid to form colourless aluminum nitrates
Figure 8: Al(NO3)3 and hydrogen gas.
Aluminum Cu + 4HNO3 blue
→ Cu(NO 3)2+2NO+2H2O
yellow
metal
immersed
in pH 2 2Al + 6HNO3 → 2Al(NO3)3 + 3H2
solution colourless
Deduction
When zinc is immersed in cold and diluted nitric acid, zinc will liberate
nitrogen monoxide, NO, zinc nitrate, Zn(NO3)2 and water. The zinc nitrate
will then dissolve in water to form a colourless solution.
3Zn + 8HNO3 → 3Zn(NO3)2 + 2NO + 4H2O
Zn(NO3)2 → Zn2+ + 2NO3-
The thin layer of black solid detect in the experiment may due to the
impurities in the zinc metal strips

Figure 10: Zinc

Figure 9: Zinc
metal
metal (with
(without
scrubbing)
scrubbing)
immersed in
immersed in
pH 2 solution
pH 2 solution
Deduction
When tin (stannum) is immersed in nitric acid, tin will liberate nitrogen
dioxide, NO2, tin nitrate, Sn(NO3)2 and water. The tin nitrate will then
dissolve in water to form a colourless solution. But due to the yellow
nitrogen dioxide, NO2 that form in this reaction, the nitrogen dioxide that
remain dissolved in the solution forming a yellow solution instead of
colourless solution.
Sn + 4HNO3 → Sn(NO3)2 + 2NO2 + 2H2O
Sn(NO3)2 → Sn2+ + 2NO3-

Figure 11: Tin Figure 12: Tin

metal (with metal (without
scrubbing) scrubbing)
immersed in immersed in
pH 2 solution pH 2 solution
Conclusion
 The rate of corrosion decrease as pH increases
 The rate of corrosion of the metal under acidic condition of Pb> Sn>
Al> Zn> Cu
 The protective layer of aluminum, lead and tin are able to decrease
the rate of corrosion under acidic condition but not zinc and copper.