A

PROJECT ACTIVITY REPORT

ON

RUSTING OF IRON

BY

NAME ROLL NUMBER

KEYA PANDE 11

SUBMITTED TO:

Mrs. Monica Agarwal

Rani Laxmi Bai Senior Secondary School

Sector -14, Vikas Nagar

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

INDIA

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Certificate ……………………………………………………......iii

Acknowledgements ........................................................................iv

Introduction ………….………………………………………......5

Chemistry behind the rusting of iron.….………..………………..5

Rusting an undesirable phenomenon……………………………..7

Factors affecting the rusting of iron……………….……………..7

Prevention of rusting….………………………...………………..8

Experiment to investigate the rusting of iron…………………….9

References ……………………………………………………….12

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 CERTIFICATE

This is hereby to certify that, original and genuine work had been carried out to investigate about

the subject matter and the related data collection and investigation has been completed solely,

sincerely and satisfactorily done by Keya Pande a student of class 12th-B under the Roll number

11 of Rani Laxmi Bai Senior Secondary School for the academic section 2018-2019.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Mrs Monica Agarwal who has the attitude and

the substance of a genius; she continually and convincingly elevated the report. Without her

guidance and persistent help this dissertation would not have been possible. I am highly indebted

for her guidance and constant vision as well as for providing necessary information regarding the

report.

I would like to express my gratitude towards my parents for their kind co-operation and

encouragement which help me in completion of this project. My thanks and appreciations also go

to my colleague in developing the project and people who have willingly helped me out with their

abilities.

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 INTRODUCTION

Rusting of iron refers to the formation of rust, a mixture of iron oxides, on the surface of iron
objects or structures. This rust is formed from a redox reaction between oxygen and iron in an
environment containing water (such as air containing high levels of moisture). The rusting of iron
is characterized by the formation of a layer of a red, flaky substance that easily crumbles into a
powder.

Figure 1 Rusting of Iron Nails

This phenomenon is a great example of the corrosion of metals, where the surfaces of metals are
degraded into more chemically stable oxides. However, the term ‘rusting’ is generally used to refer
to the corrosion of objects made of iron or iron-alloys.

CHEMISTRY BEHIND THE RUSTING OF IRON

The exposure of iron (or an alloy of iron) to oxygen in the presence of moisture leads to the
formation of rust. This reaction is not instantaneous, it generally proceeds over a considerably
large time frame. The oxygen atoms bond with iron atoms, resulting in the formation of iron
oxides. This weakens the bonds between the iron atoms in the object/structure.

The reaction of the rusting of iron involves an increase in the oxidation state of iron, accompanied
by a loss of electrons. Rust is mostly made up of two different oxides of iron that vary in the
oxidation state of the iron atom. These oxides are:

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 1. Iron(II) oxide or ferrous oxide. The oxidation state of iron in this compound is +2 and its
chemical formula is FeO.
2. Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide, where the iron atom exhibits an oxidation state of +3. The
chemical formula of this compound is Fe2O3.

Oxygen is a very good oxidizing agent whereas iron is a reducing agent. Therefore, the iron atom
readily gives up electrons when exposed to oxygen. The chemical reaction is given by:

Fe → Fe2+ + 2e–

The oxidation state of iron is further increased by the oxygen atom when water is present.

4Fe2+ + O2 → 4Fe3+ + 2O2-

Now, the following acid-base reactions occur between the iron cations and the water molecules.

Fe2+ + 2H2O ⇌ Fe(OH)2 + 2H+

Fe3+ + 3H2O ⇌ Fe(OH)3 + 3H+

The hydroxides of iron are also formed from the direct reaction between the iron cations and
hydroxide ions.

O2 + H2O + 4e– → 4OH–

Fe2+ + 2OH– → Fe(OH)2

Fe3+ + 3OH– → Fe(OH)3

The resulting hydroxides of iron now undergo dehydration to yield the iron oxides that constitute
rust. This process involves many different chemical reactions, some of which are listed below.

1. Fe(OH)2 ⇌ FeO + H2O

2. 4Fe(OH)2 + O2 + xH2O → 2Fe2O3.(x+4)H2O
3. Fe(OH)3 ⇌ FeO(OH) + H2O
4. FeO(OH) ⇌ Fe2O3 + H2O

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One similarity between all the chemical reactions listed above is that all of them are dependent on
the presence of water and oxygen. Therefore, the rusting of iron can be controlled by limiting the
amount of oxygen and water surrounding the metal.

RUSTING AN UNDESIRABLE PHENOMENON

Rusting causes iron to become flaky and weak, degrading its strength, appearance, and
permeability. Rusted iron does not hold the desirable properties of iron. The rusting of iron can
lead to damage to automobiles, railings, grills, and many other iron structures.

The collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967 and the Mianus River Bridge in 1983 is attributed to the
corrosion of the steel/iron components of the bridge. Many buildings made up of reinforced
concrete also undergo structural failures over long periods of time due to rusting.

Figure 2 Fall of Mianus River Bridge 1983

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE RUSTING OF IRON

Many factors speed up the rusting of iron, such as the moisture content in the environment and the
pH of the surrounding area. Some of these factors are listed below.

• Moisture: The corrosion of iron is limited to the availability of water in the environment.
Exposure to rains is the most common reason for rusting.

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 • Acid: if the pH of the environment surrounding the metal is low, the rusting process is
quickened. The rusting of iron speeds up when it is exposed to acid rains. Higher pH
inhibits the corrosion of iron.

• Salt: Iron tends to rust faster in the sea, due to the presence of various salts. Saltwater
contains many ions that speed up the rusting process via electrochemical reactions.

• Impurity: Pure iron tends to rust more slowly when compared to iron containing a mixture
of metals.

The size of the iron object can also affect the speed of the rusting process. For example, a large
iron object is likely to have small deficiencies as a result of the smelting process. These
deficiencies are a platform for attacks on the metal from the environment.

PREVENTION OF RUSTING
Iron and its alloys are widely used in the construction of many structures and in many machines
and objects. Therefore, the prevention of the corrosion of iron is very important. Some preventive
methods are listed below.

Alloys that are Resistant to Rusting

Some alloys of iron are rust-resistant. Examples include stainless steel (which features a layer of
chromium (III) oxide) and weathering steel.

COR-TEN steel rusts at a relatively slower rate when compared to normal steel. In this alloy, the
rust forms a protective layer on the surface of the alloy, preventing further corrosion.

Galvanization

• Galvanization is the process of applying a protective

layer of zinc on a metal. It is a very common method
of preventing the rusting of iron.

• This can be done by dipping the metal to be

protected in hot, molten zinc or by the process
of electroplating.

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 • Zinc is a relatively cheap metal that sticks to steel easily. It also offers cathodic protection
to the iron surface by acting as an anode. The zinc layer is corroded instead of the iron due
to this.

Cathodic Protection

• Providing the metals with an electric charge can help inhibit the electrochemical reactions
that lead to rusting.

• This can be done by making the iron/steel a cathode by attaching a sacrificial anode to it.

• This sacrificial anode must have an electrode potential that is more negative than that of
iron.

EXPERIMENT TO INVESTIGATE THE RUSTING OF IRON

Aim: Investigating the rusting (oxidation) of iron.

Apparatus required: 4 iron nails, 1 steel nail, a piece of copper/brass, 5 test tubes, cotton wool,
solid calcium chloride, magnesium ribbon.

Procedure:

1. Half fill two test tubes with water.

2. Put an iron nail in one test tube and label it A and a steel nail in another tube label it B.

3. Put an iron nail in a dry test tube and label it C and plug with a small piece of cotton wool
on which a few pieces of calcium chloride are placed.

4. Calcium chloride is a drying agent.

5. Wrap a piece of magnesium ribbon around and an iron nail and put it into the fourth test
tube and label it D fill it with water.

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 6. Half fill the remaining test tube with boiled water. Put an iron nail with a layer of oil to
exclude air and label the tube E.

7. Leave the test tubes for a few days and observe the results.

Figure 3 Iron Nail when kept in different test tube Containing different solution

Result and Observations

1. The iron nail in test tube A will be covered with a layer of rust after a few days.

2. There is very little if any rust on the steel nail in test tube B.

3. There is no rust observed on the iron nail in test tube C.

4. There is no rust/little rust on the iron nail in test tube D.

5. There is no rusting on the iron nail in test tube E.

Conclusion

1. Iron is susceptible to rusting.

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2. Rusting can only occur in the presence of moisture (water) and air.

3. Controlling humidity (test tube C) prevents rusting.

4. Galvanizing using a more reactive metal such as zinc prevents the rusting of iron.

5. Oiling reduces/prevents rusting.

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 REFERENCES

• https://byjus.com/chemistry/rusting-iron-prevention/
• https://science.howstuffworks.com/question445.htm
• https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust
• https://www.thoughtco.com/how-rust-works-608461
• https://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Experiments/rust-chemistry.html
• https://www.revision.co.zw/experiment-investigating-rusting-iron/

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