4.

Materials
Lead strip (5cm x 2cm), Tin strip (5cm x 2cm), Copper strip (5cm x 2cm), Zinc strip (5cm x
3
2cm), Silver strip (5cm x 2cm), sandpaper, distilled water, 0.1 mol dm hydrocholoric acid
4 3 4 3
solution, 1x 10 mol dm ethanoic acid solution, 1 x 10 mol dm ammonia
3
solution, 0.1 mol dm sodium hydroxide solution

5. Apparatus
Electronic balance, 25 boiling tubes, forceps, measuring cylinder, label paper, sandpaper, beaker

6. Procedure
(a) The concentration of each solution are calculated as written below:

Hydrochloric acid (pH=1) Ethanoic acid (pH=4)

+ +
1= - log [ H ] 4 = -log [ H ]
+ 3 + 4 3
[ H ] = 0.1 mol dm [ H ] = 1x 10 mol dm

Ammonia ( pH =10 )
Sodium hydroxide ( pH=13)
pH = 14-pOH
10= 14 pOH pH = 14-pOH
pOH=4 13= 14 pOH
pOH=1

pOH=-log [ OH ]
pOH=-log [ OH ]

4= -log [ OH ]
1= -log [ OH ]
4 3
[ OH ] = 1 x 10 mol dm 3
[ OH ] = 0.1 mol dm

(b) Fill 50 cm of each solution into five different boiling tubes.

(c) Clean the metals with sandpaper.
(d) Weigh and record the intital mass of each metal strip using the electronic balance.
(e) Measure the volume of each metal strip using water displacement method in order to obtain
the density of each metal strip.
(e) Place a zinc strip into each solution.
(f) Allow the reactions to occur for 24 hours.
(g) Then, take out the strips from each solution using forceps.
(h) Weigh and record the final mass of each strip.
(i) Calculate the change in mass of each strip.
(j) Similarly repeat steps (a) (e) by substituting iron strip with lead strip, copper strip, zinc strip
and silver strip.
(j) Calculate the rate of corrosion of each metal using the Mils penetration per year
(mpy) formula:
534 x W
mpy=
Dx AxT

where,
W=weight loss (g)
3
D=metal density (g/ cm )
2
A= exposed area of metal ( cm )

T= exposure time (hours)

(Source: http://www.csun.edu/~bavarian/Courses/MSE%20227/Labs/9-Corrosion.pdf )

(k) Tabulate the data obtained.

Solution
Change in Hydrochlori Ethanoic Distilled Ammonia Sodium
mass of metal(g) c acid acid water hydroxid
(pH =1) (pH=4) (pH=7) (pH=10) e
(pH=13)
Iron

Aluminum
Copper

Zinc

Silver

Solution
Hydrochlori Ethanoic Distilled Ammonia Sodium
Rate of c acid acid water hydroxid
corrosion of metals(mpy) (pH =1) (pH=6) (pH=7) (pH=8) e
(pH=13)
Iron

Aluminum

Copper

Zinc

Silver

(l) The relative corrosion resistance of a material can be evaluated using the following criteria:
Relative Corrosion Resistance mpy
excellent 0-5
good 5-20
fair 20-50
poor 50-200
(Source: http://www.csun.edu/~bavarian/Courses/MSE%20227/Labs/9-Corrosion.pdf )