Chapter 14: Metals

A. METALS AND ALLOYS

Physical properties of Metals
1) Good conductors of heat and electricity
2) Usually have high densities, melting point, and boiling point
3) Malleable and ductile
Why are pure metals not widely used in industry?
1) Pure metals are too soft because layers of atoms slide easily over one another when a force is
applied.
2) Pure metals may react with air and water, thus wear away or corrode easily
Alloys: a mixture of a metal with one or few other elements
Why are metals often used in the form of alloys?

 To make metals harder and stronger. This is because:

o Atoms of added element have a different size
o Orderly arrangement of atoms is disrupted
o Atoms cannot slide over each other easily when a force is applied
 To improve the appearance of metals
 To lower the melting point of metals
 To make metals more resistant to corrosion

Alloy Composition Special Properties Uses

Copper (70%) Does not corrode easily, Decorative ornaments,

Brass
Zinc (30%) attractive yellow colour like gold musical instruments, coins

Iron (73%)
Cutlery, utensils, medical
Chromium (18%)
Stainless steel Resistant to corrosion instruments, pipes in
Nickel (8%)
chemical industries
Carbon (1%)

Tin (50%)
Solder Low melting point Joining metals pipes
Lead (50%)

Tin (95%)
Pewter Antimony (3.5%) Bright, shiny colour like silver Decorative ornaments
Copper (1.5%)

Copper (88%) Sculptures, musical

Bronze Resistant to corrosion
Tin (12%) instruments, and medals

Copper (90%)
Cupronickel Does not corrode easily Coins
Nickel (10%)
 B. THE REACTIVITY SERIES

Metal Cold Water Steam Hydrochloric Acid

Metal + Dilute
Metal + Water = Metal Hydroxide Metal + Steam = Metal Oxide +
Equation Hydrochloric Acid = Metal
+ Hydrogen Hydrogen
chloride + Hydrogen

 Reacts very violently

 Highly exothermic
Potassium
 Hydrogen gas explodes
with lilac flame
 Reacts explosively
 Reacts violently  Explode with steam
 Highly exothermic
Sodium
 Hydrogen gas explodes
with yellow flame
Calcium  Reacts readily  Reacts violently
Magnesium  Reacts very slowly  Reacts violently with steam
 Reacts readily
Zinc  Reacts readily with steam
Iron  Reacts slowly with steam  Reacts slowly
Lead No reaction
Hydrogen
No reaction
Copper
Silver
Note: Although lead is above hydrogen, it does not react with hydrochloric acid because it will form an insoluble
layer of lead (II) chloride over the lead, preventing further reaction.
Reaction with Steam Caution: To prevent
water from being sucked back into the hot test
tube, the delivery tube must be removed from
the water in the trough before or as soon as
when we turn off the Bunsen flame.
When no more gas is produced or when heat
is removed, the water will cool down and is
sucked back to the hot test tube from the
delivery tube, causing the glass to break.
C. USING THE REACTIVITY SERIES
 More reactive metal has a greater tendency to form positive ions
 Displacement Reactions of Metal
- A more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from its salt solution
- Example: iron + copper (II) sulphate → iron (II) sulphate + copper
 Reaction between a Metal and the Oxide of Another Metal
- A more reactive metal can reduce the oxide of a less reactive metal
- Example: zinc + copper (II) oxide → zinc oxide + copper
- Note: Magnesium ribbon is used in this reaction as a fuse. When the
magnesium ribbon is ignited, it provides enough energy to start the
reaction between zinc and copper (II) oxide to form zinc oxide and
copper.
  Reduction of Metal Oxides with Carbon
- The oxides of some metals can be reduced to their metals by heating
with carbon.
- The more reactive the metal, the more difficult it is to reduce its oxide to
the metal by carbon.
- This reaction is important in extraction of some metals from its ores
- Example: copper (II) oxide + carbon → copper + carbon dioxide
 Reduction of Metal Oxides with Hydrogen
- Example: lead (II) oxide + hydrogen → lead + steam

 Action of heat on Metal Carbonates

- Example: Copper (II) carbonate → copper (II) oxide + carbon dioxide
- E.g.: Calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, lead, copper
- Note: For silver carbonate, the silver oxide formed is thermally unstable, therefore it further
decomposes to form silver

D. EXTRACTING METALS
 Combined state: metal oxides, metal sulphides, metal carbonates, metal chlorides
 Methods of extraction:
o Reduction with Carbon: Heating the metal compound with carbon
 Examples: Zinc, Iron, Lead, Copper, Silver
o Electrolysis: Using electricity to decompose the molten metal compound (ONLY FOR VERY
STABLE COMPOUNDS WHERE THE BONDS ARE HARD TO BREAK)
 Examples: Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium
o Heating (No carbon required): Silver

 Extracting Iron
Iron is extracted from haematite [most important ore of iron, which is composed of mainly iron (III)
oxide / Fe2O3 and sand impurities / SiO2] in a blast furnace

1. Production of Carbon dioxide

- Coke burns in hot air
2. Production of Carbon monoxide
- Heat is produced
- Carbon dioxide further reacts with hot coke
- Carbon dioxide is produced
- Carbon dioxide is reduced by more coke present in
- Exothermic reaction
the furnace to form carbon monoxide
- Temperature of furnace increases to over
- Equation: CO2 (g) + C (s) → 2CO (g)
1600oC
- Equation: C(s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g)

3. Reduction of Iron (III) oxide
- Carbon monoxide reduces iron (III) oxide
- Molten iron / Cast iron / Pig iron is produced and
sinks to the bottom of the furnace.
- Carbon dioxide is produced and escapes as hot
waste gases through the top of the furnace,
together with N2 (from hot air) and CO.
- Equation: Fe2O3 (s) + 3CO (g) → 2Fe (l) + 3CO2
(g)
4. Removal of impurities
a. Limestone consists of calcium carbonate which
decomposes at high temperatures.
- Carbon dioxide and calcium oxide are produced.
- Equation: CaCO3 (s) → CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
b. Calcium oxide reacts with silicon (IV) oxide / sand
in the iron ore.
- Calcium silicate / slag (CaSiO3) is formed, which
sinks but being less dense than iron, floats on top
of molten iron.
- This is an acid base reaction
- Equation: CaO (s) + SiO2 (s) → CaSiO3 (l)

Blast Furnace
- Tall, chimney-like
- Made of bricks
- Lined with refractory material
(aluminium oxide, magnesium oxide –
high melting points and trap heat)

E. USES OF STEEL
 Steel: alloy of iron with carbon and/or other metals
 Made from cast iron through two main stages:
o Removing impurities by oxidation
o Mixing with carbon and other elements to make the various types of steel
 Different Types of Steel and Their Uses

Mild steel (Low carbon

High Carbon steel Manganese steel Stainless steel
steel)
Iron, carbon, Iron, carbon,
Composition 0.25% carbon 0.45% - 1.5% carbon
manganese chromium, nickel
Special Increased strength Durable, highly
Strong but malleable Stronger but brittle
properties and hardness resistant to corrosion
Different-sized carbon
atoms disrupt the Too much disruption of
Reason regular layers of iron layer. When a force is
atoms, hence applied the metal fractures
conferring strength
Knives, hammers, chisels,
Car bodies & Cutlery, surgical
Uses saws, and other cutting Springs and drills
machinery instruments
tools

F. RUSTING
 Corrosion of iron
 Gradual oxidation of iron to form hydrated iron (III) oxide
 Equation:
Iron + oxygen + water → hydrated iron (III) oxide
4Fe (s) + 3O2 (g) + 2xH2O (l) → 2Fe2O3 . xH2O (s)
 Conditions for rusting:
 - Oxygen and Water
- How to speed up: Use sodium chloride or other acidic substances
- Rust Prevention

Sacrificial Protection: Using a Prevent rusting by

Using a protective layer
sacrificial metal using alloys
 To exclude water + oxygen
 To protect iron or steel
 Painting, greasing, plastic coating, electroplating  Use of rust-
with a more reactive
(coat metal with another metal by electrolysis) resistant alloys
metal
 Electroplating:  E.g.: stainless
 Galvanised zinc OR
Canned food is packed in tin-plated iron or steel steel
magnesium
cans

G. RECYCLING METALS
 We need to recycle metals because they are finite resources (limited and non-renewable)
 Commonly recycled metals:
o Iron + Steel from scrap metal
o Aluminium from food and drink cans
o Lead from car batteries

Advantages of Recycling Disadvantages of Recycling

 Conserve natural resources  Costly
 Reduce environmental problems caused by extraction of metals  Cause pollution
 Saves cost of extracting metals problems (recycling
 Produce less waste, poses less danger to human health lead can release
 Less mining, more land to cope with increasing world population harmful gases to the
environment)