VISHWA SISHYA VIDYODAYA SCHOOL
Palladam Road, Puliampatti (P.O)
Pollachi - 642002
RUSTING OF IRON
Project work Submitted by
NITHISH S
A Roll no:
Grade: Xll - A
CERTIFICATE
This is hereby to certify that; the original and genuine investigation work has been
carried out to investigate about the subject matter and related data and investigation
has been completed sincerely and satisfactorily done NITHISH S of class 12 under
the for the academic year 2024-2025 regarding the investigatory project titled
“RUSTING OF IRON” for chemistry department under supervision of the
undersigned as per the requirement for the board exams
Principal Teacher-in-Charge External Examiner
Place:
Date:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Several people helped to make this effort worthwhile. I wish to express my profound
thanks to the people who helped to make this project a reality.
First, I thank almighty God for his abundant blessings showered upon on our school
in all spheres of activity.
Next, I would like to thank our principal Mrs. Swapna Nair for extending all the
facilities and cooperation for our work.
I also express my sincere thanks to Mrs. Jijimole G, our chemistry teacher who was
our inspiration and the facilitator in my project work. Without her presence we
couldn't have completed this project. Her timely intervention went a long way
towards the completion of the project work.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to my parents who by their encouragement have
boosted up my morale especially when facing some difficult patches. register my
heartfelt thanks to the management, staff and friends of our school for giving me the
ideas and suggestions in completing this project successfully.
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THEORY
3. REQUIREMENTS
4. PROCEDURE
5. OBSERVATIONS
6. METHODS OF PREVENTION
7. CONCLUSION
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Iron is one of the widely distributed elements in nature. One of its striking
characteristics is that it undergoes rusting on combining with water, air & carbon-
dioxide due to which its surface gets covered with a red brown flake coating
called ‘RUST’. RUST is affected by moisture, oxygen & carbon- dioxide. RUST
is soft and porous, and it gradually falls off from the surface of iron material. It is
a continuous process and gradually eats up iron due to which an iron object loses
its strength. It is a very wasteful process and should be prevented. It is a very
slow process.
THEORY
When a piece of a iron metals is exposed to humid atmosphere, it gets covered
with a red brown substance called “Rust”. Rusting of iron can be explained
based on ELECTRO CHEMICAL THEORY as follows:
1. Water vapours on the surface of the metal dissolved
carbon-dioxide and oxygen from the air. Thus, the surface of the metal is
covered with the solution of carbon dioxide with water, i.e., carbonic
acid: -
H2O + CO2 H2CO3....................(i)
This acts as an electrolytic solution for the cell. The carbonic acid and water
dissociate to a small extent as follows:
H2CO3 2H+ (CO3)2-
H 2O H+ + OH-.................... (ii)
2. Iron in contact with the dissolved CO2 and O2 undergoes oxidation as
follows: -
Fe Fe2+ + 2e-..................... (iii)
As a result, iron is converted into ferrous (Fe2+) ion.
3. The electrons last by iron are taken up by the H+ ions present on the
surface of metal which were produced by the dissociation of H2CO3 and
H2O2. Thus H+ ions are converted into H atoms.
H+ + e- H.....................(iv)
Thus, H atoms either react with the dissolved oxygen or oxygen from air to
from water.
4H + O2 2H2O.......................(v)
The complete reaction may be written as: -
O2 + 4H+ + 4e- 2H2O.....................(vi)
The dissolved oxygen maybe take up electrons directly to form OH- ions as
follows:-
O2 + 2H2O + 4e- 4OH-......................(vii)
The overall reaction of the miniature cells will be: -
2Fe(s) + O2 (g) + 4H+ (aq) 2Fe2+ (aq) + 2H2O(l)
4. The ferrous ions formed react with the dissolved oxygen or oxygen from
air to form ferric oxide as follows: -
4Fe2+ + O2 + 4H2O 2Fe2O3 + 8H+ (aq).
5. Ferric oxide the undergoes hydration to form RUST as follows: -
Fe2O3 + xH2O Fe2O3. xH2O
Hydrated Ferric Oxide (RUST).
REQUIREMENTS
APPARATUS
•Boiling tubes
•Rubber stopper
•Iron nails
•Burner
• Test tube holder and stand
CHEMICAL
• Distilled water
• Dilute HCL
• Dilute NaCl solution
• Anhydrous calcium chloride
• Cotton
PROCEDUR
• Take Four dry test tubes and mark them A, B,C and D. Take 10 pieces of
iron nails free from rust.
• In the test tube ‘A’ add two pieces of hydrous calcium chloride and
cover it with thin layer of cotton. Again slide 3 nails and close it.
• In the test tube ‘B’ take 5 ml of water and stay stilled over watch.
• In the test tube ‘C’ take 5 ml of water and boil it to remove dissolved air.
Slide two nails in this test tube and few drops of mustard oil to cover the
surface of H2O.
• In the test tube ‘D’ take 5 ml of dilute NaCl solution. Slide two nails and
close it. Leave these test tubes as such for 4-5 days and observe carefully in
which of the test tubes rust is formed.
OBSERVATIONS
• It is observed that rusting takes place in the test tube D whereas not
in A, B and C.
• Moisture, oxygen and carbon-oxide present in air are responsible
for rusting
• It appears that during a compound of iron is formed by the combination
of iron oxygen, carbon-dioxide and water.
• It is observed that when the process was prolonged in the presence of
moist air and acids, rusting spreads quickly.
S. No TEST TUBE INITIAL FINAL
WEIGHT (G) WEIGHT
(after 4-5
days)
A. Anhydrous CaCl2 4.97
B. Water 5.78
C. Boiled water & 5.68
Oil
D. Salt 5.62
METHODS OF PREVENTION
• Rusting of iron can be prevented by covering its surface with paints, grease and
lacquers.
• Galvanisation: - This is one widely practical method used for the prevention of
rusting. The layer of Zinc on the surface of iron, when comes in contact with
moisture, oxygen and carbon-dioxide in air, ferrous a protective invisible thin layer
of basic zinc carbonate ZnCO3. Zn(OH)2 due to which the galvanised iron sheets
lose their lustre and also tends to protect it from further corrosion.
• Rusting of iron can also be prevented by coating its surface with iron (II, III)
oxide Fe3O4 or iron (III) phosphate FePO4
CONCLUSIONS
• Rust is formed by prolonged action of water oxygen and carbon-dioxide on an
iron under other suitable conditions.
• Moisture, oxygen and carbon-dioxide present in air, all responsible for
rusting
.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. [Link]
2. [Link]
3. [Link]
