Rust
It's the brown stuff you see on metal!
What is rust?
... Rust is a reddish-brown coating of iron oxide that is formed on iron or steel in the presence of moisture.
Chemical Formula:
4Fe + 3O2 + 6H2O --> 2Fe2O3 - 6H2O
Iron metal + oxygen gas + water --> Iron (III) Oxide Hexahydride
- This is an example of an oxidation reaction.
How does this happen?
- Iron is exposed to oxygen for a long period of time which combines with the metal and forms a new compound called an oxide.
- This oxide then mixes with water droplets in the air to make a hydrated version of the initial oxide.
Rusting of Iron
What's so bad about rust?
The waste of produced from the rusting process is... You guessed it! ... Rust!
- Rust can cause structural damage and cause failures in buildings, towers, etc.
- It wastes natural resources since good iron is turned into unusable iron.
- Due to this, natural iron is depleted, and this in turn depletes economic resources as well.
Rust on buildings:
Due to this, there will have to be people that will have to remove this rust, otherwise this building is unusable.
Rust on trains:
This rust has made the train out of order, and it can no longer be used to carry people or cargo.
Rust on cars:
This car is going to have to be repaired, as it has also become unusable because of rust.
What can be done to prevent rusting to occur?
- Galvanizing --> the iron is coated with a layer of zinc, preventing the oxygen and water from reaching it.
- Alloys of iron and other metals can be created so that rusting cannot occur.