VELAMMAL VIDHYASHRAM

MAMBAKKAM

ALL INDIA SENIOR SCHOOL

CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

CHEMISTRY
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT REPORT
ON

EFFECT OF METAL COUPLING ON RUSTING

OF IRON

NAME – BARATH
2022 - 2023
ROLL NO - 12B01

CLASS - XII

SECTION - B

GROUP – CS MATH
 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this CHEMSIRTY Investigatory Project on the topic “Effect

of metal coupling on rusting of iron” has been successfully completed by

BARATH .KM of class XII (CHEMSIRTY), Roll.no…12 B 01 ...................... at

Velammal Vidhyashram, Mambakkam for the partial fulfilment of this project as a

part of All India Senior School Certificate Examination-CBSE, New Delhi for the

academic Year 2022– 2023.

Date: ……………………

Signature of Principal Signature of the Guide

Name: Mrs.JALPA SHREYAS SHAH Name: Dr.R.SOWMIYANARAYAN

Submitted for AISSCE 2023-2024, CHEMISTRY Practical examination on

………………….

Signature of the Signature of the

Internal Examiner External Examiner
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The success of any project depends largely on people associated with it. I would

like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the enthusiasm of all these

personalities.

I hereby express my heartfelt thanks to our Senior Principal

Mrs.JALPA SHREYAS SHAH for having given this opportunity to do the project in

the biology laboratory and for her constant encouragement.

I extend my sincere gratitude to my Biology teacher Dr.R.SOWMIYANARAYAN

for the valuable guidance offered to me. Her wholehearted encouragement and

constant stimulant inspiration and advice enabled me to complete the project

successfully.

I am also thankful to all our Teaching Staff and Non Teaching Staff for their help

during my course of study.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to my parents for their

encouragement and support. Last but not the least I am thankful to the almighty.

BARATH
XII-B
 INDEX

SL.NO CONTENT PG.NO

1 INTRODUCTION-AIM

2 PREVENTION

3 INHIBITORS

4 COUPLING REACTION

5 CATALYSTS INVOLVED IN METAL

COUPLING REACTION

6 RUSTING OF IRON

7 RUSTING AN UNDESIRABLE PHENOMEON

8 EXPERIMENT

9 RESULT

10 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 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:

GALVANZATION :

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.

COATING AND PAINTING :

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 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.
RUSTING OF IRON

Water vapours on the surface of the metal dissolved carbon-dioxide and

oxygen from the air. Thus the surface of metal is covered with the solution
of carbon-dioxide with water, i.e. carbonic acid :-

H2O + CO2 ======> H2CO3 ---------- (i)

This acts as an electrolytic solution of the cell. The carbonic acid and water
dissociate to a small extent as follows:

H2CO3 <======> 2 H+ +CO32-

H2O <======> H+ +OH- ---------- (ii)

2. Iron in contact with the dissolved CO2 and O2 undergoes oxidation as

follows :-

Fe =========> Fe++ + 2e– -------------(iii)

As a result iron is converted into ferrous (Fe++) ion.

3. The electrons lost by iron are taken up by the H+ ions present on the
surface of metal which were produced by the dissociation of H2CO3 and
H2O. Thus H+ ions are converted into Hatoms.

Thus H atoms either react with the dissolved oxygen or oxygen from air to
from water.

4H + O2 ======> 2H2O ---------- (v)

The complete reaction may be written as :-

O2+ 4H+ + 4e– ======>2 H2O ------- (vi)

The dissolved oxygen may take up electrons directly to from OH– ions as
follows :

O2 + 2H2O + 4e– ======> 4OH– ------(vii)

The over all reaction of the miniature cell will be :-

2Fe(s) + O2(g) + 4H+ (aq) ===> 2Fe++(aq)+2H2O(l)

4. The ferrous ions formed react with the dissolved oxygen or oxygen from
air to from ferric oxid as follows :

4Fe++ + O2 + 4H2O ======> 2Fe2O3 + 8H+ (aq)

Ferric oxide then undergoes hydration to form RUST as follows :-

Fe2O3 + xH2O =======> Fe2O3 xH2O

Hydrated ferric oxide (RUST)

It is observed that when the process was prolonged in the presence of

moist air and acids, rusting spreads quickly.

RUSTING AN UNDESIRABLE PHENOMEON :

Rusting causes iron to become flaky and weak, degrading its strength,
appearance and permeability. Rusted iron does not hold the desirable
properties of iron.

The rusting of iron can lead to damage to automobiles, railings, grills, and
many other iron structures.
The collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967 and the Mianus River bridge in
1983 is attributed to the corrosion of the steel/iron components of the
bridge.

Many buildings made up of reinforced concrete also undergo structural

failures over long periods of time due to rusting.

Rusted iron can be a breeding ground for bacteria that cause tetanus. Cuts
from these objects that pierce the skin can be dangerous.
Since rusting occurs at an accelerated rate in humid conditions, the insides
of water pipes and tanks are susceptible to it.

This causes the pipes to carry brown or black water containing an unsafe
amount of iron oxides.

CATHODIC PROTECTION :

Providing the metals with an electric charge can help inhibit the
electrochemical reactions that lead to rusting.

This can be done by making the iron/steel a cathode by attaching a

sacrificial anode to it.

This sacrificial anode must have an electrode potential that is more

negative than that of iron.

Metals that are commonly used as sacrificial anodes are magnesium, zinc,
and aluminium. Once they are corroded away, they must be replaced in
order to protect the iron/steel.
ALLOYS :

Some alloys of iron are rust-resistant. Examples include stainless steel

(which features a layer of chromium(III) oxide) and weathering steel.

COR-TEN steel rusts at a relatively slower rate when compared to normal

steel. In this alloy, the rust forms a protective layer on the surface of the
alloy, preventing further corrosion .
 EXPERIMENT

AIM :

To study the effect of metal coupling on rusting of iron.

MATERIALS REQURIED :

 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

phenolphthalein solution and stir well the contents.

 Fill the petridishes with hot 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
RESULT :

 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

 CLASS 12 CHEMISTRY

 www.scribd.com

 www.google.com

 Wikipedia