The Effect of Different Rust-Inhibitors on Steel
Researched by Michelle A. 2001-02	PURPOSE  HYPOTHESIS  EXPERIMENT DESIGN  MATERIALS  PROCEDURES  RESULTS  CONCLUSION  RESEARCH REPORT  BIBLIOGRAPHY  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  ABOUT THE RESEARCHER

The purpose of this experiment was to test different substances that are able to prevent corrosion on steel to see which one best prevents rust from forming.

I became interested in this idea while, looking through a book, I found a picture of rusting iron. It said that rusting makes nails and other iron products brownish in color and weakens it.

The information gained from this experiment will help those who use steel to keep it from becoming weakened by corrosion.

My hypothesis was that the paint would prevent the acts of rust and corrosion the most.

I base my hypothesis on a quote from the book Iron, Chromium and Manganese on page 11, which says, "All iron and steel objects have to be painted or protected in some other way against rust. Most vehicles are coated in a number of protective layers during manufacture and several coats of paint before they leave the factory."

The constants in this study were:
* The amount of distilled water used on each steel bar
* The time each steel bar was scrubbed
* The amount of substance poured into the glass container for the turbidity meter
* The amount of each substance on each of the individual steel bars in each individual experimental group
* The width of each steel bar
* The total length of the steel bars in each experimental group

The manipulated variable was the substance used as a rust-inhibitor. Each experimental group was tested with a different substance.

The responding variable was the turbidity of the distilled water after one steel bar was scrubbed in it.

To measure the responding variable I used a turbidity meter to measure the turbidity of the distilled water after one steel bar was scrubbed in it.

1. Gather all the materials for this experiment.
2. If the steel bars have some material to prevent it from rusting in the shop, you must remove it. With an electric sander, have an adult sand one of the sides on the steel bars out of doors, until they have turned from a black to a silver. They may have a little of the substance in the middle.
3. Take apart the cardboard box so it lays flat on a surface. Place it where pets and/or younger siblings may not reach it.
4. Place the steel bars in groups of five around the cardboard box.
5. Label one group "control," one group "car polish," one "paraffin wax," one "paint," and the last one "antifreeze."
6. Light the candle. Take the paint and apply, on the "paint" group, a fairly even amount of it on each steel bar.
7. With the car polish, apply a fairly even amount on each steel bar in experimental group "car polish."
8. Take a container in which the steel bars can fit into. Pour some of the antifreeze into it. Dip each steel bar, in the "antifreeze" group, into it. Do not allow the antifreeze to come into contact with your face or open wounds, as it is a poisonous chemical if used incorrectly. Make sure you wash your hands after handling the antifreeze.
9. Now take the candle and have an adult pour the melted wax over the experimental group "paraffin wax." Try to keep an even layer of wax on each steel bar.
10. Let the steel bars dry overnight. (The "control" group does not have any rust-inhibitor applied to it.)
11. After you have let the bars dry, take the spray bottle filled with tap water and spray them every 2-4 hours. Try to keep the amount you spray on the bars even. Do this for at least three days.
12. Have an adult set up the turbidity meter to a computer.
13. Using the graduated cylinder, place 125 ml of distilled water into the 1-liter container.
14. Take one of the steel bars in a group and place it in the distilled water. Take the sponge and cut it into fours. With one of the sponge pieces, scrub the steel bar for two and a half minutes.
15. After two and a half minutes, take the bar out of the container. Mix the "distilled water" substance well and pour it into the glass container for the turbidity meter up to the top of the thick line.
16. Place the glass container into the turbidity meter. Make sure the arrow on the container and the arrow on the turbidity meter line up to one another. Click the "collect" button on the screen. Wait until it has finished and then go up to "data" to "save latest run." On a piece of paper write what each run meant (For example: Run 1=Control 1, Run 2=Control 2).
17. Clean out the glass container for the turbidity meter, the 1-liter container, and the sponge.
18. Repeat steps 13-17 for each steel bar.

The original purpose of this experiment was to test different substances that are able to prevent corrosion on steel to see which one best prevents rust from forming.

The results of the experiment were that the average turbidity of the steel bars in the "paraffin wax" group was less than the other experimental groups. The "control" group had the greatest turbidity.
View my data and graphs

My hypothesis was that the paint would prevent the acts of rust and corrosion the most.

The results indicate that this hypothesis should be rejected. The paraffin wax seemed to prevent the most rust from occurring.

Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if combinations of different rust-inhibitors would prevent even more rust from forming.

If I were to conduct this project again, I would try and find a way to measure the substance used as a rust-inhibitor to apply to the steel bars. I would also do more trials.
 
 
 

RESEARCH REPORT INTRODUCTION  Iron and steel are used in making many of the structures used today, such as bridges, cars, kitchen items, etc. Rust and corrosion have become an even greater problem as civilization advances in technology. As it continues to grow, there are more reasons to use rust-inhibitors. No one substance alone has been able to withstand the creation of rust and the effects of corrosion. IRON  Iron (Fe) is the most widely used element in building many of the structures that we use today. It is obtained from iron ore. Different kinds of iron can be classified as pig iron, cast iron, or wrought iron. Pig iron is produced in a blast furnace and contains about 93% iron, 3-4% carbon, and some smaller amounts of other elements. Cast iron is any iron alloy containing 2-4% carbon and 1-3% silicon. Wrought iron is nearly pure iron mixed with glass-like material and can be hammered into various shapes and can resist corrosion better than cast iron. STEEL  Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. Most steel is produced in an oxygen furnace. The higher percentage of carbon there is, the harder the steel becomes. It can be heated to a red-hot temperature and cooled slowly to create a soft steel. This is called the annealing process. Steel can also become a hard steel by using the process called quench tempering, where it must be cooled rapidly, usually by plunging it into water. Different kinds of steel can be grouped as carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, or tool steal. Carbon steel is the most widely used type of steel and usually contains less than 1% carbon. Alloy steel contains some carbon, but its other properties come from other chemical elements. Stainless steel prevents the process of corrosion more than any other steel and contains 12% chromium and 30% nickel. Some household items are made of stainless steel, like knives, flatware, sinks, pots, and pans. Tool steel is an extremely hard steel that is used in metalworking tools and is produced by tempering certain types of carbon and alloy steels. RUST  Rust is a brownish-red substance that forms on the surface of iron or steel when it is exposed to damp air. It is formed by the union of oxygen with iron in a process called oxidation, which causes the iron to corrode and weaken. It also can cause nails to weaken and rust holes in sheet iron. CORROSION  Corrosion is the destruction of material caused by the chemical action of a gas or liquid. It is formed when the corrosive agent is exposed to moist air and water with impurities. This process involves two related chemical reactions called oxidation and reduction. Different types of corrosion and their severity depend on different factors, such as: the stresses in the metal, the temperature of the corrosive agent, and the speed of which the agent moves along the metal. Usually, the severity of the corrosive agent tends to be tougher when it hits the metal at a high speed. When the corrosive agent contains solid particles, it becomes very severe and is called erosion-corrosion. Corrosion takes place usually on metal, but it can occur on ceramics too. OXIDATION AND REDUCTION  Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which a substance loses electrons. When accompanied by oxygen, iron is able to rust (FeÆFe2++2e-). The electrons that are released from the substance during the oxidation process are immediately picked up by sulfur atoms, which result in the formation of sulfide ions (S2-). Since the electrons that are released must be captured, oxidation is accompanied by another chemical reaction called reduction. Reduction is the process in which a substance gains electrons. When both the chemical reactions, oxidation and reduction, are together, they perform the combined transfer of electrons, and are then called the redox process. OXYGEN  Oxygen is a chemical element that is vital for sustaining life. On the chemical element chart, it is classified as a non-metal, has a symbol of O, and an atomic number of 8. When in its crystal formation, it takes on a cubic shape. In its atomic structure, it has 8 protons/electrons and 8 neutrons. In 1774, oxygen was discovered by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. When oxygen and iron combine, it creates iron oxide. RUST-INHIBITORS  People use many different types of substances to prevent the act of corrosion from occurring. Paint is used on cars, bridges, and many other items that are usually exposed to damp air. In car radiators, antifreeze is used since is has a high boiling point, allowing the car to run at a high temperature without boiling away the coolant, and contains chemicals that can inhibit water’s tendancy to rust. Tinplate is used for manufacturing cans, and protects the steel from rusting and corrosion. Waxes are used in manufacturing as rust preventatives.  SUMMARY  Iron is the most widely used material in building most of the structures we use today. It is classified as pig iron, cast iron, or wrought iron. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, and is classified as carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, or tool steal. Oxygen is a chemical element that is vital for sustaining life, and, when combined with iron, forms rust. A brownish-red substance that causes the surface to corrode and weaken. Corrosion is the destruction of material caused by the chemical action of a gas or liquid and involves two chemical reactions called oxidation and reduction. People use different types of substances to prevent rust from occurring.

BIBLIOGRAPHY "Automobile Radiator." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001. 2001 Beaver, Donald deB. "Iron and Steel." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1998. Bentor, Yinon. "Chemical Elements.com." November 9, 2001  http://www.chemicalelements.com/. Clum, James A. "Stainless Steel." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1999 Davis, Raymond E. "Rust" The World Book Encyclopedia. 1999 Hapeman, Cathleen J. "Corrosion." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1999 Hapeman, Cathleen J. "Oxidation." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1999 Heiserman, David L. Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds. USA: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992. pp. 32-35, 107-110 Knapp, Brian. Iron, Chromium and Manganese. Danbury,CT:Grolier Educational, 1996.  pp. 4-11 Morgan, Sally and Adrian. Materials. New York, New York: Evans Brothers Limited, 1994  pp. 13, 28-30 "Tinplate." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001. 2001

This project could not have been complete without the assistance of several people. I would like to thank each of the following people for their help in making this project a success.

* My father, for gathering some of the materials and sanding the steel bars for my experiment.

* My mother, for also helping to gather some of the materials and helping to set up the first part of my experiment.

* Mr. Newkirk, for giving me advice on how to set up my board and borrowing the turbidity meter for me to use during my experiment.
 
 
 

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