Corrosion and Rusting

PSBB LLA
2022

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 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my gratitude to Mrs. Mahalaxmi Kumar, for her
whole-hearted cooperation. I would also like to express my sincere
gratitude to my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Anandhi Ramesh, for her
valuable guidance and support. They gave me an excellent opportunity
to perform this interesting project of “Corrosion and Rusting” which
enabled me to learn a lot.

I take immense pleasure in thanking my physics lab teacher, Mrs. Deepti

Sudhakaran for her willingness in providing me with necessary guidance
in the lab.

Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to my family and friends for

helping me put up this project, at its best.
 Bonafide Certificate

This is to certify that Mr. Raymond Thomas Roshy of grade XII with the roll no 17 of PSBB
Learning Leadership Academy, Bangalore has completed his project in the subject of
Chemistry for the academic year 2022-2023

Submitted for ALL INDIA SENIOR SECONDARY PRACTICAL EXAMINATION held in

Physics Lab at PSBB Learning Leadership Academy, Bangalore.

INTERNAL EXAMINER PRINCIPAL

EXTERNAL EXAMINER INSTITUTION SEAL

 Table of Contents
# Topic Page
1 Aims and Objectives 4
2 Introduction 5
3 Apparatus and Experimental Procedure 7
4 Observations 8
5 Results and Inference 14
6 Precautions and Summary 15
7 Bibliography 16

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 Aims and Objectives
Maintenance and restoration of metals is a costly process. Corrosive effects render many important metals
useless and non-recyclable. For this year’s chemistry project, we decided to investigate corrosive effects on
a variety of metals. In doing so we explored the causes, proneness, and effects of rusting on different metals
in different solutions.
This project aims to:
1. Demonstrate the effect of corrosion on different metals in water
2. Demonstrate rusting of iron nails in different solutions
3. Prove that the presence of air and water is essential to the process of rusting

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 Introduction
Corrosion is a consequence of electrochemical reactions between materials and their environments. General
corrosion occurs when most or all the atoms on the same metal surface are oxidized, damaging the entire
surface. Most metals are easily oxidized. They tend to lose electrons to oxygen (and other substances) in the
air or in water. As oxygen is reduced (gains electrons), it forms an oxide with the metal. This oxide can have
both productive and degenerative effects.

When reduction and oxidation take place on various kinds of metals in contact with one another, the process
is called galvanic corrosion. In a galvanic couple, the more active metal (the anode) corrodes at an
accelerated rate and the more noble metal (the cathode) corrodes at a slower rate. When immersed separately,
each metal corrodes at its own rate.

In electrolytic corrosion, which occurs most commonly in electronic equipment, water or other moisture
becomes trapped between two electrical contacts that have an electrical voltage applied between them. The
result is an unintended electrolytic cell.

Metal dusting is a catastrophic form of corrosion that occurs when susceptible materials are exposed to
environments with high carbon activities, such as synthesis gas and other high-carbon monoxide
environments. The corrosion manifests itself as a break-up of bulk metal powder. The suspected mechanism
is firstly the deposition of a graphite layer on the surface of the metal, usually from carbon monoxide (CO) in
the vapour phase.

Passivation refers to the spontaneous formation of an ultrathin film of corrosion products, known as a passive
film, or protective layers, on the metal’s surface that acts as a barrier to further oxidation. The chemical
composition and microstructure of a passive film are different from the underlying metal. Typical passive film
thickness on aluminum, stainless steels, and alloys is within 10 nanometers. The passive film is different from
oxide layers that are formed upon heating. The passive film recovers if removed or damaged whereas the
oxide layer does not.

Certain conditions, such as low concentrations of oxygen or high concentrations of species such as chloride
which complete as anions, can interfere with a given alloy's ability to re-form a Passivation film. In the worst
case, the surface will remain protected, but tiny local fluctuations will degrade the oxide film at some points.
Corrosion at these points will be amplified, and can cause corrosion pits of several types, depending upon
conditions. This is called pitting corrosion.

High-temperature corrosion is the chemical deterioration of a material because of heating. This non-galvanic
form of corrosion can occur when a metal is subjected to a hot atmosphere containing oxygen, sulfur, or other
compounds capable of oxidizing the material concerned. For example, materials used in aerospace, power
generation and even in car engines must resist sustained periods at elevated temperatures.

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Corrosion can occur on different surfaces such as skin, wood, metals, etc. Rusting usually occurs on surfaces of iron
and its alloys. Corrosion can occur when the substance is exposed to air or some chemicals. Rusting occurs when a
metal is exposed to air and moisture. Corrosion results in the formation of the oxides of metal or salts. Meanwhile, only
iron oxide is formed when rusting takes place. Corrosion can occur in materials like polymers and ceramics and this
type of corrosion is known as degradation.

Equations for rusting:

Corrosion of Aluminium:

Corrosion of Copper:

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 Apparatus and Experimental Procedure
Materials Required: Agar-agar, Petri dishes, test tubes, 3 nails, 3 iron nails, water, distilled water, common
salt (NaCl), isopropyl alcohol, aluminium foil, copper turnings, magnesium strip, potassium ferricyanide,
phenolphthalein, sand paper, 3 iron nails, Calcium chloride solution, oil, and cotton.

Procedure:
Part 1
4. Clean nails by gently rubbing with sand paper and dry the nails with filter paper.
5. Around the first nail wind aluminium foil, around the second nail wind copper turnings and around the
third nail wind the magnesium strip.
6. Add about 3 g of agar-agar in 100 ml of water and heat it till it becomes clear.
7. Add 1 ml of potassium ferricyanide and 1 ml of phenolphthalein to the above solution and stir it till it
forms a gel.
8. Fill the petri dish with agar -agar gel and place nails in the gel.
9. Cover the dish for a day or two.
10. Remove the nails and move them to individual test tubes containing equal amounts of water.
11. Plug the 3 test tubes with cotton and leave them undisturbed for about 3 days.
12. Study the level of corrosion with respect to each metal.

Part 2
1.Clean the iron nails by gently rubbing with sand paper.
2.Fill four test tubes with the following-
A) 20 ml of salt (NaCl) solution
B) 20 ml of water
C) 20 ml of boiled distilled water
D) 20 ml of isopropyl alcohol solution + 15 ml of water
3.Put one iron nail in each of the 3 test tubes.
4.Plug test tubes with cotton and label.
5.Leave the test tubes undisturbed for 3 days.
6.Remove the iron nails from the test tube and note the level of rust in each case.

Part 3
1. Take three test tubes and place 3 iron nails in each of them. If nails are not clean rub them with sand paper.
2. Pour some water in the first test tube.
3. Pour some boiled distilled water in the second test tube and then about 1 ml of oil to it.
4. Put some calcium chloride solution in the third test tube.
5. Plug some cotton in the rim of all the 3 test tubes and leave it undisturbed for about 3 days

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 Petri dishes with agar-agar gel

Aluminium Copper Magnesium

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 Observations

Part 1
Metal Aluminium Copper Magnesium
Rate of corrosion ** * ***

Magnesium is the most active to corrosion and copper is the least active to corrosion among the given metals.

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 Observations

Salt Solution
Solution Water Distilled water Isopropyl Alcohol
(NaCl)

Level of rust *** ** Very less

Part 2

Rusting was the most on the iron nail in NaCl (salt solution).
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1
 Observations

Part 3
Rusting is seen only in the iron nail placed in water and not in the iron nails placed in distilled water with
oil covering and calcium chloride solution.

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 Results
Result:
Part 1: Corrosion was the most on magnesium strip and least in the copper turnings.
Part 2: Rusting was the most on the iron nail placed in NaCl solution. Part
Part 3: Rusting is seen in the iron nail placed in water.

Discussion of Result:

Part 1: We observe that the rate of corrosion increases from copper to aluminium to magnesium. This is due
to the protective oxide layer covering which protects the metal from further corrosion. The thin layer that
forms on the surface of the metal prevents oxygen from encountering more of the metal atoms thus protecting
the remaining metal from further corrosion.

Part 2:
Salt or particularly salt solution can accelerate the rusting process by acting as an electrolyte, allowing the
metal (iron) to lose electrons more quickly and easily as compared to other solutions. Rusting occurs due to a
chemical process called oxidation where metal atoms tend to lose electrons and form ions. The more easily
the electrons flow, quicker is the rusting process.
Boiled distilled water can readily absorb oxygen from the atmosphere as compared to normal tap water.
Since it absorbs oxygen rusting will be lesser in boiled distilled water as compared to normal water.
Isopropyl alcohol, which works like CCl4 solution in this case minimizes rusting of iron as it does not allow
air and moisture to meet it.
This explains why NaCl solution>water>distilled water>isopropyl alcohol.

Part 3:
Iron and steel rust when they come in contact with water and oxygen- both which are needed for rusting to
occur. Boiling the water removes the oxygen and the layer of oil prevents it from re-entering. Calcium
Chloride solution absorbs moisture from the air.
This explains why only the first test tube, which is exposed to both air and water, rusts.

Inference: From this experiment we can infer that the effect of corrosion and rusting are widespread and can
affect us in many ways. Rate of corrosion and rusting varies from metal to metal and varies in solutions as
well. The experiment further proves that rusting and corrosion is dependent on factors such as air and water.
It is thus important to learn about its causes and effects and find solutions on how to minimize it.

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Precautions:
13. Test tubes must be plugged with cotton properly.
14. Metals should be wound around the nail properly.
15. Nails in the agar-agar gel placed in a petri dish must always be covered.
16. The iron nails must be clean else rub it with sand paper gently so as to remove the rust.

Summary of the work:

The experiment is performed by placing nails wrapped with 3 different metals inserted in water and by
placing iron nails in 20ml of different solutions to compare the levels of corrosion and rusting in each case.
The conclusion drawn is that corrosion varies as magnesium>aluminium>copper and rusting varies as salt
solution>water>distilled water>isopropyl alcohol. The experiment is further extended by showing that the
presence of air and water is essential for corrosion and rusting. This is done by exposing only one test tube
to both air and water and the other test tubes are covered either with a protective oil layer and boiled
distilled water to remove air supply or calcium chloride solution which absorbs moisture(H20) from the air.
The project could have been further improved by taking more samples to increase the amount of data
gained, thereby enhancing our result.

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