STUDY OF THE

EFFECT OF
METAL COUPLING ON
THE
RUSTING OF IRON

PRESENTED BY
NAME: SANJAY PS
CLASS: XII-A
YEAR: 2015-2016

Certification :
It has been certified that Sanjay PS
Studying in XII-A(Science), during
the

academic

year

2015-16

has

completed a project on the study of

effect of metal coupling on the
rusting of iron and has given a
satisfactory account of this in their
project report

SURYA GOPALAKRISHNAN(PGT
Chemistry)
Signature

Declaration :
I Sanjay PS and of Class XII A
(Science), Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1
Palakkad, declare that the following
project on the study of the effect of
metal coupling on the rusting of iron
has been accomplished under the
able guidance of our Chemistry
Teacher, Smt.Surya Gopalakrishnan

Kendriya Vidyalaya No1 Palakkad

Date:

Acknowledgement:

I would like to express our sincere

gratitude
to
Smt.Surya
Gopalakrishnan,
teacher,

whose

our

chemistry
help

and

encouragement made this project

possible. We would also like to thank
Mr. Ravi, the lab Assistant for his
help during the completion of this
project.

XII A (Science)
Kendriya Vidyalaya Palakkad

INDEX:
Introduction
Mechanism of corrosion of
meta
Electrochemical
Mechanism(rusting)
Methods of Prevention of
Corrosion
Economic Effect
Aim of this project
Requirements
Procedure
Observation
Conclusion
Bibliography

INTRODUCTION
Metal corrosion is the most common
form of corrosion. The corrosion occurs
at the surface of the metal in forms of
chemical or electrochemical reactions.
This process significantly reduces the
strength, plasticity, toughness and other
mechanical properties of the metallic
material. However, because of the metal
and its alloys is still the most important
pipe and structure materials, the cost of
corrosion grows significantly with the
growth of industries. Thus many
scientists focus on the research of
corrosion control in order to reduce the
cost of replacing the rusting metal
material. Nowadays, there are mainly

two corrosion control methods that are

very popular in the world. One is
impressed current and another is
sacrificial anode cathode protection
system. In this project, we will focus on
the mechanism and application of the
sacrificial
system.

anode

cathode

protection

Mechanism of corrosion of metal

General Principle of Corrosion:Reaction
is the fundamental reaction during the
corrosion process, which the electron
can flow from certain areas on the metal
surface to other areas through a
solution which can conduct electric
currents.

Basically,

both

anodic

and

cathode

reactions have to balance each other

out, resulting in a neutral reaction. Both
anodic and cathodic reactions occur
simultaneously at the same rates.
Whats more, the site of these
electrodes may consist of either two
different kinds of metals, or they may

be on different areas of the same piece

of metal, resulting a potential difference
between the two electrodes, so that the
oxidation reaction of the metal at the
anode and formation of negative ions at
the cathode can take place at the same
time.

Similar electrical potentials may also be

developed between two areas of a
component made of a single metal as

result

of

small

differences

in

composition
or
structure
or
of
differences in the conditions to which
the metal surface is exposed. That part
of a metal which becomes the corroding
area is called the anode ; that which
acts as the other electrode of the
battery is called cathode which does
not corrode, but is an important part of
the system. In the corrosion systems
commonly
involved,
with
water
containing some salts in solution as the
electrolyte. Corrosion may even take
place with pure water, provided that
oxygen is present. In such cases
oxygen combines with the hydrogen
generated at the cathode, removing it
and permitting the reaction to go on.

Rusting: an Electrochemical Mechanism

Rusting may be explained by an
electrochemical mechanism. In the
presence of moist air containing
dissolved oxygen or carbon dioxide, the
commercial iron behave as if composed
of small electrical cells. At anode of
cell, iron passes into solution as ferrous
ions. The electron moves towards the
cathode and form hydroxyl ions. Under
the influence of dissolved oxygen the
ferrous ions and hydroxyl ions interact

to form, i.e., hydrated ferric oxide.

Methods of Prevention of Corrosion and

Rusting

Some of the methods used:1) Barrier Protection: In this method, a

barrier film is introduced between

iron surface and atmospheric air.

The film is obtained by painting,
varnishing etc.

2) Galvanization: The metallic iron is

covered by a layer of more reactive
metal such as zinc. The active metal

losses electrons in preference of iron.

Thus, protecting
corrosion.

from

rusting

and

AIM OF THIS PROJECT

In

this

project

investigate

effect

the

aim

is

to

of

the

metals

coupling on the rusting of iron. Metal

coupling affects the rusting of iron. If
the nail is coupled with a more
electro-positive

metal

like

zinc,

magnesium or aluminium rusting is

prevented but if on the other hand, it
is coupled with less electro positive
metals like copper, the rusting is
facilitated.

REQUIREMENTS

1) Two Petri dishes

2) Four test-tube
3) Four iron nails
4) Beaker
5) Sand paper
6) Wire gauge
7) Gelatin
8) Copper,
strips

Zinc

and

Magnesium

9) Potassium ferricyanide solutions

10) Phenolphthalein

PROCEDURE
1) At first we have to clean the
surface of iron nails with the
help of sand paper.
2) After that we have to wind zinc
strip around one nail, a clean
copper wire around the second
and

clean

magnesium

strip

around the third nail. Then to

put all these three and a fourth
nail in Petri dishes so that they
are not in contact with each
other.

3) Then to fill the Petri dishes with

hot agar agar solution in such a
way that only lower half of the
nails are covered with the
liquids
4) Keep the covered Petri dishes
for one day or so.

5) The liquids set to a gel on

cooling. Two types of patches
are observed around the rusted
nail, one is blue and the other
pink. Blue patch is due to the
formation of potassium ferroferricyanide where pink patch is
due to the formation of
hydroxyl
colorless
pink.

ions which turns

phenolphthalein to

OBSERVATION

S.No

1
2
3

Metal Pair Colour

of the
patch
Iron-Zinc
IronMagnesium
IronCopper

Nails
rusts or
not

CONCLUSION
It is clear from the observation that
coupling

of

iron

with

more

electropositive metals such as zinc

and magnesium resists corrosion and
rusting of iron. Coupling of iron with
less electropositive metals such as
copper increases rusting.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

For our project we have taken help

from following sources;
1) Comprehensive (practical
Chemistry-XII)
2) Internet- www.wikipedia.com
3) NCERT Chemistry Textbooks
4) http://projects.icbse.com/chemis
try