CHEMISTRY

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT DONE BY

A.G.ELAKKIYA XII B
An Alloy is a homogenous mixture of two or more metals
or a non-metal.

An alloy of mercury with another metal is called

amalgam.

Alloys are usually harder than their components but

very often less ductile and less malleable. Thus the
hardness of gold is increased by addition of copper to it.
The melting point of an alloy is always lower than the
melting points of the constituent metals. Other
properties such as reactivity towards atmospheric
oxygen and moisture, mechanical strength, ductility,
color etc. also under goes a change when an alloy is
made from its constituents (metals). This change of
properties is very useful and makes an alloy beneficial.

Some of the alloys along with their composition is given

below.
Alloys are generally made to serve the following purposes:

(i) To modify chemical reactivity. When sodium is used as

reducing agent it is too reactive to be used but its alloy with
mercury, called sodium amalgam can be safely used as reducing
agent.

(ii) To increase hardness. Hardness of gold is increased by

adding copper to it.

(iii) To increase tensile strength. Copper (4%) and aluminium

(95%) has high tensile strength. (iv) To lower the melting point.
Solder metal which is an alloy of Sn (30%) and Pb (70%) has very
less melting point as compared to melting points of tin and lead

(v) To modify the colour. Aluminium bronze, an alloy of Cu and

Al has beautiful golden colour

(vi) To resist corrosion. Iron gets rusted and corroded. Its

corrosion takes place with time ut stainless steel which is an
alloy of iron and carbon does not get rusted. Alloys are prepared
from the metals by the techniques of fusion, compression or
simulta eous electro-deposition. The complete analysis of an
alloy involves two steps, qualitative and quantitative analysis. In
qualitative analysis, the components of the alloy are found out
and in quantitative analysis their percentage composition is
determined. In the present project we vill carry out qualitative
analysis only.
SOME COMMON ALLOYS:-

Amalgam:

Any alloy of mercury is called an amalgam. Most

metals are soluble in mercury, but some (such as
iron) are not. Amalgams are commonly used in
dental fillings because they have been relatively
cheap, easy to use, and durable. In addition, until
recently, they have been regarded as safe. They are
made by mixing mercury with silver, copper, tin,
and other metals. The mercury content of dental
fillings has recently stirred controversy, based on
the potentially harmful effects of mercury.
BRASS:

Brass is the term used for alloys of copper and zinc

in a solid solution. It has a yellow colour, somewhat
similar to gold. It was produced in prehistoric
times, long before zinc was discovered, by melting
copper with calamine, a zinc ore. The amount of
zinc in brass varies from 5 to 45 percent, creating a
range of brasses, each with unique properties. By
comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of
copper and tin.
Brass is relatively resistant to tarnishing and is
often used for decorative purposes. Its malleability
and acoustic properties have made it the metal of
choice for musical instruments such as the
trombone, tuba, trumpet, and euphonium. Although
saxophones

And harmonicas are made out of brass; the

saxophone is a woodwind instrument, and the
harmonica, a free reed aero phone. In organ pipes
designed as "reed" pipes, brass strips are used as
the "reed."
BRONZE

Bronze refers to a broad range of copper alloys, usually with

tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other element
such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon.
Typically, bronze is about 60 percent copper and 40 percent
tin. The use of bronze was particularly significant for early
civilizations, leading to the name "Bronze Age." Tools,
weapons, armours, and building materials such as decorative
tiles were made of bronze, as they were found to be harder
and more durable than their stone and copper predecessors.
Preparation of Alloys

Alloys are prepared from the techniques of fusion,

compression or simultaneous electro deposition.
Generally the components are mixed together in
proper properties in a fuse clay crucible, melted
and stirred with a piece of charcoal to avoid
oxidation. The molten mixture is now allowed to
cool. When an alloy is obtained e.g. brass is
prepared by above melted.
Analysis of an alloy

The complete analysis of an alloy involves two

steps.

1. Qualitative Analysis:

This involves identification of the components of

the alloys.

2. Quantitative Analysis:

This involves determination of the components of

the alloy, It involves the separation of the
components from the alloy quantitatively followed
by determination of percentage of each
component volumetrically or gravimetrically.

In this project we will carry out qualitative analysis

only.
AIM:
To analyse a sample of brass qualitatively.

REQUIREMENTS:

China dish, test-tube, funnel, filter paper and

common laboratory reagents.

THEORY:

A small piece of brass is dissolved in 50% nitric

acid when metals get converted to their nitrates.
After the removal of excess nitric acid, the
solution is tested for Cu2+ and Zn** ions. 4Zn+
10HNO, 4Zn(NO),+NO+5H,03Cu+8HNO, 3Cu(NO) +
4H2O+2NO . 个
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Place a small piece of brass in a china dish and heat
this with minimum quantity of 50% HNO, so as to
dissolve the piece completely.

2. Continue heating the solution till a dry solid residue is

obtained.

3. Dissolve solid residue in dil. HCI and filter. Add

distilled water to the filtrate.
4. Pass HS gas through the filtrate. A black precipitate of
copper sulphide is obtained.Separate the black ppt. and
keep the filtrate for the test of Zn2 ions. Dissolve blackppt.
by heating them with 50% HNO,. To this solution add
ammonium hydroxidesolution Appearance of deep blue
colour in solution shows the presence ofcopper ions in the
solution.

5. To test for Zn2 ions, boil the filtrate to remove H,S gas,
then add solid NH,CI to thisand heat to dissolve NH, Cl. Add
excess of NH,OH so that a solution is ammoniacal. Now pass
HS gas through this ammoniacal solution. Dirty white or
grey precipitateindicate zine. Separate the precipitates and
dissolve it in minimum amount of dilHCI. Boil to expell HS
gas and add potassium ferrocyanide solution, white or
bluishwhite ppt. confirm Zn ions in the solution.

RESULT:
Brass contains copper and zinc metal in it
PHOTO GALLERY
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