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6. Corrosion
1) Define Corrosion?
Corrosion:
The slow and gradual disintegration of metal due to environment is called corrosion.
Eg:
Rusting of Iron
Tarnishing of silver and gold and ornaments.
Corrosion
If the corrosion product is soluble in the corroding medium or evolved as a gas, then corrosion
proceeds at a faster rate.
On the other hand if the corrosion product is insoluble or acts as protective coating, reduces the
further corrosion.
Eg: Al surface is oxidized and the oxide layer acts as protective coating for the inner metal.
5 Impurities in the atmosphere:
The presence of corrosive gases like CO2, H2S, SO2, HCl, H2SO4 etc increases the rate of
corrosion.
6. Humidity of Air:
The corrosion of a metal becomes faster in humid atmosphere.
This is because the CO2, O2 and vapors furnish water to the electrolyte which is essential for
setting up of electrochemical cell.
7. Effect of pH :
The rate of corrosion is more in acid media i.e., pH < 7 than in alkali (or) neutral media.
8. Temperature:
Corrosion is a chemical process.
The rate of chemical reaction increases with temperature.
Hence, as temperature increases, the rate of corrosion increases.
3) Explain the Electrochemical theory of corrosion?
Electrochemical theory of corrosion:
This theory was introduced by Whitney.
According to this theory
(a) Corrosion is an electrochemical reaction.
(b) When tow dissimilar metals are kept in contact with each other in liquid medium or moist
air, a galvanic cell is formed.
(c) The metal which acts as anode undergoes corrosion and the other metal which acts as
cathode does not undergo corrosion.
(d) The metal which undergoes corrosion in these conditions depends upon the position of
the metal in the electrochemical series.
Prepared by V Naga Surendra Reddy
Lecturer in Chemistry
Corrosion
(e) The metal ions formed at anode and non metal ions formed at cathode, diffuse towards
each other through the conducting medium and form the corresponding product.
At anode:
M
Mn+ + ne- (oxidation)
1
O
At Cathode: H2O + 2 2 + 2e2 OH- (reduction)
(Or)
O2 + 4e2O-2
+n
M + n OH M (OH)n
M+n + O-2
M2On
1. Composition Cell
2. Concentration Cell
3. Stress cell.
Corrosion
Zn
H2O +
1
O
2 2 + 2e
Zn+2 + 2 OH-
2 OH- (reduction)
Zn (OH)2
Figure
7) Explain the Stress cell ?
Stress cell:
A cell formed between stressed and unstressed parts of metal is called stress cell.
The stressed area in a metal acts as anode and unstressed area acts as cathode.
The stressed part undergoes corrosion.
Eg:
1) In bend pipes the curved parts are stressed and acts as anode and un curved parts acts
as cathode.
The anode part undergoes corrosion.
Figure
Eg:
2) In a nail, the head and tail parts being stressed parts acts as anode and undergo
corrosion.
Figure
8) What is Rusting of iron ?
Rusting of iron:
The slow and gradual disintegration of iron due to atmosphere conditions is called rusting of iron
(or) corrosion of iron is called rusting.
Prepared by V Naga Surendra Reddy
Lecturer in Chemistry
Corrosion
A piece of iron reacts with O2 and water vapor and gets a red, brown deposit on it.
This deposit is called rust.
Rust can be represented as Fe2O3.xH2O where (x = 0 3)
Fe
The electrons move to cathode part on the surface and taken by O2 and H2O of the atmosphere to
form OH- ions.
At cathode:
H2O +
1
O
2 2 + 2e
2OH- (reduction)
The Fe+3 ions and OH- ions combine to form ferric hydroxide
Fe+3 + 3 OH-
Fe (OH)3
The ferric hydroxide lose water gradually and convert into brownish rust.
2 Fe (OH)3
Where X = 0 to 3.
Corrosion
11) What are the Methods of prevention of corrosion (or) corrosion control methods ?
Methods of prevention of corrosion (or) corrosion control methods:
The following methods are used to control the corrosion
1) Coating methods.
2) Cathodic protection.
Corrosion
In this method base metal is dipped in a bath of acidic potassium chromate and then
neutral chromate solution.
It is useful for metals like Zn, Al, Mg, Cd etc.
3) Oxided coating:
In this method a chemical reaction is carried between the base metal with Alkaline
oxidizing solution.
They serve as base primer coatings for oils, greases and waxes.
Organic coating:
In this method the base metal is coated with organic compounds such as plastics, paints, enamels
and varnishes for the protection corrosion.
They adhere to the surface of metal and are very much effective against atmospheric corrosion.
13) Explain Cathodic protection method to prevent corrosion ?
Cathodic protection:
In this method, the metal to be protected from corrosion is made cathode by connecting it with
another active metal (or) by impressed current.
This can be done by the following two methods
a) Sacrificial anode process
b) Impressed voltage process
a) Sacrificial anode process:
In this method the metal to be protected from corrosion is made cathode by connecting it with
another more active metal.
This is more active metal acts as anode and undergoes corrosion.
This active metal is known as Sacrificial anode.
This method is called sacrificial anode process.
This metal is used in the protection of buried pipe lines, water tanks, marine structures etc.
Eg:
1) Underground iron pipelines are protected from corrosion by connecting them with a
more active metal like magnesium.
Magnesium acts as sacrificial anode and undergoes corrosion.
The iron pipes become the cathode.
Corrosion
Figure
Eg:
2) Galvanization:
Corrosion