INVESTIGATORY PROJECT ON

SUBSTITUENTS OF ALLOYS

SUBMITTED TO
MANSUKHBHAI KOTHARI NATIONAL SCHOOL
PUNE

FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

BY
NAME: ARDRA THAKARE
GRADE: 12th SCIENCE
ROLL NUMBER:

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Mr. VISHAL PAWAR
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Ardra Thakare if class XII Science of Mansukhbhai Kothari
National School, Pune has successfully completed this Chemistry project on the topic
“Substituents of Alloys” during the academic year 2020-21 under the guidance of Mr.
Vishal Pawar (subject teacher) in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the chemistry
practical examination conducted by the CBSE for the AISSCE 2021.

All the work related to the project has been done by the candidate. The approach towards the
development of the project has been purely scientific, organic and genuine.

INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

PRINCIPAL’S SIGNATURE SCHOOL SEAL

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude in few words and respect to all those who
helped me in the completion of this project. The successful completion of any task would be
incomplete without mentioning the names of those persons who helped to make it possible.

It is my humble pleasure to acknowledge my deep senses of gratitude and heartfelt

indebtedness to my teacher Mr. Vishal Pawar for his valuable support, constant help and
guidance at each and every stage, without which this project would not have come forth.

I would also like to thank my friends and family for their endless support without which I
could not have completed this work in time
 INDEX

• Certificate
• Acknowledgement
• Introduction
- What are alloys?
- Why are alloys important?
- Alloys in daily life
- Uses of alloys
- Important alloys and their uses

• Experiments
- Experiment I : Study of composition of Bronze.
- Experiment II: Study of composition of Brass.

• Conclusion
• Bibliography
Introduction

❖ What are alloys?

An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete
solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two
or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal
(heat treatment) history. Alloys usually have different properties from those of the component
elements.

The term alloy is used to describe a mixture of atoms in which the primary constituent is a
metal. The primary metal is called the base, the matrix, or the solvent. The secondary
constituents are often called solutes. If there is a mixture of only two types of atoms, not
counting impurities, such as a copper- nickel alloy, then it is called a binary alloy. If there are
three types of atoms forming the mixture, such as iron, nickel and chromium, then it is called
a ternary alloy. An alloy with four constituents is a quaternary alloy, while a five-part alloy is
termed a quandary alloy.

Since the percentage of each constituent can be varied, with any mixture the entire range of
possible variations is called a system. In this respect, all of the various forms of an alloy
containing only two constituents, like iron and carbon, is called a binary system, while all of
the alloy combinations possible with a ternary alloy, such as alloys of iron, carbon and
chromium, is called a ternary system.

❖ Why are alloys important?

Pure metals possess few important physical properties and metallic properties like melting
point, boiling point, density, specific gravity, high malleability, ductility, heat and electrical
conductivity. For many human needs the extents of these properties possessed by these pure
metals aren’t beneficial.

Therefore, to change (or improve) these properties, often these metals are combined with
other metals or non-metals, thus alloys are formed.
 ❖ Alloys in daily life

Alloy plays a very important role in our daily life. In fact without using an alloy one day is
also not passed. Utensils in the kitchen, vehicles, mobile phones etc. are various alloys which
are being used and made by human. Even most of the machinery tools and engineering
equipments are made up of alloys.

❖ Uses of Alloys

• Enhance the hardness of a metal: An alloy is harder than its components. Pure metals are
generally soft. The hardness of a metal can be enhanced by alloying it with another metal
or non-metal.

• Lower the melting point: Pure metals have a high melting point. The melting point lowers
when pure metals are alloyed with other metals or non-metals. This makes the metals
easily fusible. This property is utilized to make useful alloys called solders.

• Enhance tensile strength: Alloy formation increases the tensile strength of the parent
metal.

• Enhance corrosion resistance: Alloys are more resistant to corrosion than pure metals.
Metals in pure form are chemically reactive and can be easily corroded by the
surrounding atmospheric gases and moisture. Alloying a metal increases the inertness of
the metal, which, in turn, increases corrosion resistance.

• Modify colour: The colour of pure metal can be modified by alloying it with other metals
or non-metals containing suitable colour pigments.

• Provide better cast ability: One of the most essential requirements of getting good
castings is the expansion of the metal on solidification. Pure molten metals undergo
contraction on solidification. Metals need to be alloyed to obtain good castings because
alloys expand to a larger extent.
❖ Important Alloys and their Uses

Alloys Compositions Uses

Brass Cu + Zn In making utensils.
Bronze Cu + Sn In making coins, bell and utensils.

German Silver Cu + Zn + Ni In making utensils.

Rolled Gold Cu + Al In making cheap ornaments.
Gun Metal Cu + Sn + Zn + Pb In making guns, barrels, gears and
bearings.
Dutch metal Cu + Zn In making artificial ornaments.

Delta metal Cu + Zn + Fe In making blades of aeroplane.

Munz metal Cu + Zn In making coins.

Monel metal Cu + Ni For base containing container.

Rose metal Bi + Pb + Sn For making automatic fuse.

Duralumin Al + Cu + Mg + Mn For making utensils.
Magnalium Al + Mg For frame of aeroplane.
Solder Pb + Sn For soldering.
Type metal Sn + Pb + Sb In printing industry.
Bell metal Cu + Sn For casting bells and statues.

Stainless steel Fe + Cr + Ni + C For making utensils and surgical

cutlery.
Nickel steel Fe + Ni For making electrical wire,
automobile parts.
❖ Few common alloys

Bronze

Solder

Stainless Steel
 Brass

Pewter

Nichrome
Experiments

❖ Experiment I
Aim:

To analyse the composition of Bronze.

Requirements:

China dish, test-tube funnel, filter paper and common laboratory reagents.

Theory:

Bronze contains Cu and Sn. Their nitrates are obtained by dissolving the sample in conc.
Nitric acid. The nitrates are precipitated as a sulphide by passing H2S through their solution
in dil. HCl. CuS is insoluble in yellow ammonium sulphide, while SnS is soluble. The ppt. is
separated by filtration. The ppt. is dissolved in conc. HNO3 and then Ammonium hydroxide
solution is passed through it. Blue coloration confirms the presence of Cu. The filtrate is
treated with conc. HCl followed by Zinc dust to obtain SnCl2. Then HgCl2solution is added.
Formation of slate-coloured ppt. indicates the presence of Sn.

Procedure:

1. Take about 1g. of small pieces of bronze in a china dish and add to it 5-10 ml. of dil.
HNO3.

2. Heat the contents slowly to dissolve copper and tin completely and then boil the contents
to a paste to remove excess of HNO3.

3. Dissolve this dry mass in distilled water containing HCl (1:1) to get a clear solution.

4. Transfer the solution in a test tube and pass H2S in excess i.e. till the precipitation is
complete. Filter and reject the filtrate.

5. Take the black ppt. in a test tube and add to it 2-3 ml. of yellow ammonium sulphide and
heat. Filter the contents. Black residue is tested for Cu2+ ions and filtrate is tested for Sn2+
ions.

6. Analysis of black residue:

Transfer a little of the black ppt. into a test tube. Add to it 2-3 ml. of 50%. HNO3 and boil the
contents of the tube. A light blue or green sol. indicates the presence of Cu2+. Divide this sol.
into two parts.

(a) To one part add excess of NH4OH a deep blue colouration confirms the presence of Cu2+
ions.

(b) Acidify the second part with acetic acid and add K4 [Fe (CN)6] i.e. potassium
ferrocyanide solution. A reddish brown ppt. confirms the presence of Cu2+ ions.

7. Analysis of filtrate:

Boil the filtrate with 1 ml. of dil. HCl. A yellow ppt. is obtained. Dissolve in 1 ml. conc. HCl.
To this solution add 0.5 g. of zinc dust and boil it for 2-3 minutes. Filter and to filtrate add 1-
2 ml. of mercuric chloride solution. A white ppt. turning grey on standing confirms the
presence of Sn4+ ions.

Result:

The given sample of bronze contains Copper and Tin as the main constituents.
 ❖ Experiment II

Aim:

To analyse the composition of Brass.

Requirements:

China dish, test-tube funnel, filter paper and common laboratory reagents.

Theory:

Brass is an alloy constituting Cu and Zn. Both the ions dissolve in 50% of nitric acid due

to the formation of nitrates which are soluble.

4Zn + 10HNO3 → 4Zn(NO3)2 + N2O + 5H2S

3Cu + 8HNO3→ 3Cu(NO3)2 + 4H2O + 2NO

A small piece of brass is dissolved in 50% nitric acid. After the removal of excess of nitric
acid, the solution is tested for Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions.

3Cu + 8HNO3→ 3Cu(NO3)2 + 4H2O + 2NO

A small piece of brass is dissolved in 50% nitric acid. After the removal of excess of nitric
acid, the solution is tested for Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions.

Procedure:

1. Place a small piece of brass in a china dish and heat this with minimum quantity of 50%
HNO3 so as to dissolve the piece completely.
2. Continue heating the solution till a dry solid residue is obtained.
3. Dissolve the solid residue in dil. HCl and filter. Add distilled water to the filtrate.
4. Pass H2S 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 black ppt. by
heating them with 50% HNO3. To this solution add ammonium hydroxide solution.
Appearance of deep blue colouration in the solution shows the presence of copper ions in the
solution.
5. To test Zn2+ ions, boil the filtrate to remove H2S gas, then add solid NH4Cl to this and
heat to dissolve NH4Cl. Add excess ofNH4OH so that a solution is ammonical. Now pass
H2S gas through this ammonical solution. Dirty white or grey precipitation indicate zinc.6.
Separate the precipitates and dissolve it in minimum amount of dil. HCl. Boil to expel H2S
gas and add potassium Ferro cyanides solution, white or bluish white ppt. confirm Zn
2+ ions in the solution.

Result:
The given sample of brass contains copper and zinc metals as the main constituents.
 CONCLUSION

In this project, a qualitative analysis of two samples of alloys namely, Bronze and Brass, was
carried out to determine their constituents. The given sample of Bronze contains - Copper and
Tin as the main constituents and the given sample of Brass contains - Copper and Zinc
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• www.jagranjosh.com
• www.globalspec.com
• www.en.wikipedia.org