CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.0 INTRODUCTION

The experiment was carried out using both qualitative and quantitative method. For

qualitative method, the physical appearance of the metal after the 48 hours reaction

was observed. As for quantitative method, the change in mass of the metal was

weighed, recorded, and the rate of corrosion of each metal was calculated based on the

Mils penetration per year(mpy) formula.

3.1 APPARATUS

50 cm3 boiling tube (25 units)

Electronic balance

Hair dryer

Stopwatch

100 cm3 measuring cylinder

Test tube rack

Scissors

100 cm3 beaker

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3.2 MATERIALS

Lead sheet ( Size: 5cm x2 cm)

Copper sheet ( Size: 5 cm x 2 cm)

Zinc sheet ( Size: 5 cm x 2 cm)

Tin sheet (Size: 5 cm x 2 cm)

Silver sheet (Size: 5 cm x 2cm)

Sandpaper

Distilled water

50 cm3 of 0.1 mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid solution

50 cm3 of 0.1 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide solution

50 cm3 of 0.0001 mol dm-3 ammonia solution solution

50 cm3 of 0.0001 mol dm-3 ethanoic acid solution

3.3 PROCEDURE
1. Zinc, copper, lead, silver and tin sheets were cut into size of 5cm x 2cm.
2. Sandpapers were used to clean the metals.
3. The volume of each metal strip was measured using water displacement method

in order to obtain the density of each metal strip.

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4. After drying with hair dryer, the metals were weight using an electronic balance

and the initial mass is recorded.

5. (a) The required concentration of each solution are calculated as written below:

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 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 ]

104 3
[ OH ] = 1 x mol dm
3
[ OH ] = 0.1 mol dm

6. The dilution technique was performed after calculating the required volume of

each solution using the formula M1V1 = M2V2 , where

M1 = Initial molarity of stock solution

M2 = Final molarity of diluted solution

V1 = Initial volume of stock solution

V2 = Final volume of diluted solution

7. Hydrochloric acid solution (pH 1) was poured into five labelled boiling tubes.

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8. The 5 metals Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper and Tin were placed into each boiling

tube and left for 48 hours to react.

9. The metals were then taken out from each solution using forceps and put onto a

filter paper.

10. The metals were then dried using a hair dryer.

11. The final mass of each metal was weighed and recorded.

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12. The change in mass was calculated and the rate of corrosion was determined

using the Mils penetration per year(mpy) formula:

534 x W
mpy=
Dx AxT

where,
W=weight loss (g)

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D=metal density (g/ cm )

2
A= exposed area of metal ( cm )

T= exposure time (hours)

13. All the steps were repeated by substituting hydrochloric acid solution with

ethanoic acid solution(pH 4), distilled water, ammonia solution(pH 10) and

sodium hydroxide solution(pH 13).

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