Diane Lee AP Chemistry

April 3, 2011 Lab Conclusion

Corrosion

The causes of corrosion range from synthetic chemical reaction to natural acidic rain.

Regardless of the type of corrosion, the common exposure is, of course, a substance which

enhances or ignites the corrosion. However, it might be easier for one to prevent and to predict

even before one’s possession becomes corroded with electrons and changes its physical

appearance. It is important to know what corrosion is and what causes such thing, because one

may try certain chemical reactions and lower the corrosion rate down

Corrosion is the breakdown of a material into its parent atoms due to chemical

reactions with its environment. It often refers to electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction

which contains oxidant. Oxygen is an example of oxidant. Oxidation of iron atoms in solid is an

electrochemical corrosion. In common

terminology, it is called rusting. Such

damage produces oxides or salts of the

original metal. Corrosion may happen

in ceramics and polymers as well. The

corrosion process can be significantly

accelerated by exposure to certain

substances. Because corrosion is a

diffusion-controlled process, it occurs on surface that is exposed to the corrosive substance.

However, some corrosion mechanisms are less visible and less predictable. There are several

requirements for corrosion to occur:

 The metal must be in

contact with an electrolyte. Solutions or gases of corrosive materials are electrolytes.

 The presence of dissolved substances in the electrolyte is necessary. These substances

can be dissolved gases or dissolved ions such as oxygen and hydrogen ion. They must

function as strong corrosive agents. Pure distilled water with no dissolved substances will

not function as an electrolyte, because it will not lead to corrosion.

 The presence of a corrosion cell in which two electrodes should be electrically connected

by an electrolyte or salt bridge. Thus, the reaction allows a portion of the metal surface to

be anodic, giving up metal ions. Consequently, the other portion is allowed to be

cathodic, gaining metal ions.

 Electroplating is a process of plating in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an

electric field into coating an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cation of a

desired material from a solution and to coat a conductive object with a thin layer of metals. In

everyday life, electroplating is primarily used for

depositing a layer of material to bestow a desired

property and comes handy in many situations such as

abrasion, wearing resistance, aesthetic qualities, and

corrosion. Another way of applying electroplating is

building up thickness on undersized units. This

particular process is called electrodeposition, and is

the reverse of galvanic cell. The cathode of the circuit

becomes plated. Both anodes are immersed in

a solution called an electrolyte containing one or

more dissolved metal salts as well as other ions that aid the flow of electricity. A power

supply supplies a direct current to the anode, oxidizing the metal atoms the anode and allowing

them to dissolve in the solution. At the cathode, the dissolved metal ions in the electrolyte

solution are reduced at the interface between the solution and the cathode. Therefore, those metal

ions "plate out" onto the cathode. The rate at which the anode is dissolved is equal to the rate at

which the cathode is plated.

Cathodic protection is a method of controlling the corrosion of a metal surface by making

that surface the cathode of an electrochemical cell. Cathodic protection systems are very

commonly used in ways of protecting steel, pipelines, tanks, and ships. For effective result, the

potential of the steel surface should be polarized more negative until the metal surface has a
uniform potential. With a uniform potential, the corrosion is prevented. For galvanic cathodic

protection systems, the anode material corrodes under the influence of the steel. Eventually it

must be replaced. The polarization is caused by the electric current flow from the anode to the

cathode. It is also powered by the difference in electrochemical potential between the opposing

electrodes.

It is economically inapt for galvanic anodes

to deliver enough current to provide complete

protection for larger units. Impressed Current

Cathodic Protection systems, ICCP, use anodes

connected to a direct current power source. Anodes

for ICCP systems are in shapes of tube or solid rod

and made up of various specialized materials such as

cast iron, graphite, mixed metal oxide, and platinum coated titanium. Another protection is

anodic protection, which help anodic current on the structure to be protected. It is appropriate for

metals that exhibit passivity and suitably small passive current over a wide range of potentials,

such as stainless steel. Usually, it is used in aggressive environments, such as solutions of

sulfuric acid.