Corrosion of Iron

Sunday, 24 September 2023 12:46 pm

CORROSION - an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction in which a free metal is oxidized by

some oxidizing agent.

○ In nature, atmospheric oxygen dissolved in water is the oxidizing agent.

○ Oxidation - refers to the loss of electrons during a chemical reaction

○ Reduction - refers to the gain of electrons during a chemical reaction.

○ Oxidizing agent - the element or compound that gains electrons and is reduced.

○ Reducing agent - the element or compound that loses electrons and is oxidized.

CHEMISTRY OF CORROSION: RUSTING OF IRON NAIL

○ When an iron (Fe) nail is in contact with water, Fe(s) loses electrons or is
OXIDIZED to become Fe2+.

○ Oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere that is in contact with the nail gains the electrons
or REDUCED from Fe(s) to form water (H2O).

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 ○ The principle is that if where the iron nail is in contact with water and oxygen,
there would be a site of OXIDATION and other being the site of REDUCTION.

○ The same principle happens if the nails is soaked in a solution.

○ Some parts of the nail turned pink/purple and some turned blue/bluish green.

○ Notice that blue coloration is heavily present on the head and tip of the nail. This
is because of the "stress" from manufacturing.

○ The "stress" means that some portions of the nail may have defects on its
structure, promoting a more oxidative process (losing electrons of Fe(s) to form
Fe2+ and/or Fe3+ ions.

CHEMISTRY OF CORROSION: RUSTING OF IRON NAIL COATED WITH COPPER AND

MAGNESIUM

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○ In the Table of Standard Reduction Potentials at 25°C, copper (Cu(s)) is above
Fe(s) in this table.

○ This means that copper is more positive Standard reduction Potential, which
means that accepts electrons more readily than Fe(s). The half-reaction of copper
is more favored

<-------- half-reaction for Fe(s)

<-------- half-reaction for Cu(s)

○ In the experiment, the portion of the nail covered in copper has a pink/purple.

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 ○ In this case, magnesium (Mg(s)) is used. Since Fe(s) is more positive than Mg(s),
the half-reaction of iron is more favored:

<-------- half-reaction for Fe(s)

- NO Fe2+ as product is formed. Therefore, NO blue reaction with hexacyanoferrate

(III) ion, NO Fe2+ to form iron oxides, therefore, NO RUST.

<-------- half-reaction for Mg(s)

- The metal used to coat the iron nail is the one that loses electrons. It becomes
the one oxidized. It becomes the SACRIFICIAL METAL.

○ Because Mg(s) is the one that loses electrons (i.e. electrons are in the product),
Mg(s) is what refer to as the one that is OXIDIZED.

○ Mg(s) becomes the anode and Fe(s) the cathode.

○ There are no Fe2+ ions produced, no blue coloration in the setup.

○ The pink coloration is due to reduction of O2 dissolved in solution.

FORMATION OF RUST

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