Chapter 10 Metals
Physical & Chemical Properties of Metals
General chemical properties of metals
• The chemistry of metals is studied by analysing their reactions with water, dilute acid
and oxygen
• Based on these reactions, a reactivity series of metals can be produced
Reactivity with water
• Some metals react with water, either warm or cold, or with steam
• Metals that react with cold water form a metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas, for example
calcium:
Ca + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2 + H2
• Metals that react with steam form metal oxide and hydrogen gas, for example zinc:
Zn + H2O → ZnO + H2
Reactivity with acids
• Most metals react with dilute acids such as HCl
• When acids and metals react, the hydrogen atom in the acid is replaced by the metal
atom to produce a salt and hydrogen gas, for example iron:
Fe + 2HCI → FeCl2 + H2
Reactivity with oxygen
• Unreactive metals such as gold and copper do not react with acids
• Some reactive metals such as the alkali metals react with oxygen
• Copper and iron can also react with oxygen although much more slowly
• When metals react with oxygen a metal oxide is formed, for example copper:
2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
Structure & Uses of Alloys
• An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and a nonmetal
• Alloys often have properties that can be very different to the metals they contain, for
example they can have more strength, hardness or resistance to corrosion or
extreme temperatures
• Alloys contain atoms of different sizes, which distorts the normally regular
arrangements of atoms in metals
• This makes it more difficult for the layers to slide over each other, so alloys are usually
much harder than the pure metal
The regular arrangement of a metal lattice structure is distorted in alloys
Common alloys and their uses
• Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and is much stronger than either metal
• Alloys of iron with tungsten are extremely hard and resistant to high temperatures
• Alloys of iron mixed with chromium or nickel are resistant to corrosion
• Aluminium is mixed with copper, manganese and silicon for aircraft body production
as the alloy is stronger but still has a low density
The Reactivity Series
• The chemistry of the metals is studied by analysing their reactions with water, dilute
acid and oxygen
• Based on these reactions a reactivity series of metals can be produced
• The series can be used to place a group of metals in order of reactivity based on the
observations of their reactions with water, acid and oxygen
Carbon and the reactivity series mnemonic
• Carbon is an important element and has its own place on the reactivity series
• Its use in the extraction of metals from their oxides is discussed in this section but a
more complete reactivity series with an accompanying mnemonic to help you memorise
it is below
The reactivity series mnemonic
• “Please send lions, cats, monkeys and cute zebras into hot countries signed Gordon”
Extended
Reactions with Aqueous Ions & Oxides
• The reactivity of metals increases going up the reactivity series
• This means that a more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from its oxide
by heating
Example: Copper(II) Oxide
• It is possible to reduce copper(II) oxide by heating it with magnesium
• As magnesium is above copper in the reactivity series, magnesium is more reactive so
can displace copper
• The reducing agent in the reaction is magnesium:
CuO (s) + Mg (s) → Cu (s) + MgO (s)
Other common reactions
Displacement reactions between metals and aqueous solutions of metal salts
• Any metal will displace another metal that is below it in the reactivity series from a
solution of one of its salts
• This is because more reactive metals lose electrons and form ions more readily than
less reactive metals, making them better reducing agents
• The less reactive metal is a better electron acceptor than the more reactive metal, thus
the less reactive metal is reduced. (OIL-RIG: reduction is gain of electrons)
Example: Zinc and copper(II) sulfate
• As Zinc is above copper in the reactivity series, zinc is more reactive so can displace
copper from copper(II) sulfate solution:
Zn (s) + CuSO4 (aq) → ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu (s)
Other Common Reactions
Extended
Heating Metal Hydroxides, Carbonates & Nitrates
Thermal decomposition reactions
• Some compounds decompose or breakdown when they are heated to sufficiently high
temperatures
• These reactions are called thermal decomposition reactions
• A common example is the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate (limestone),
which occurs at temperatures above 800ºC:
CaCO3 → CaO + CO2
Thermal decomposition of metal hydroxides
• Most metal hydroxides undergo thermal decomposition
• Water and the corresponding metal oxide are the products formed, for example zinc
hydroxide thermally decomposes as follows:
Zn(OH)2 → ZnO + H2O
• Group II metal hydroxides decompose similarly but the Group I hydroxides (apart from
lithium) do not decompose due to their having a higher thermal stability
Thermal decomposition of metal carbonates
• Most of the metal carbonates and hydrogen carbonates undergo thermal decomposition
• The metal oxide and carbon dioxide are the products formed, for example magnesium
carbonate thermally decomposes as follows:
MgCO3 → MgO + CO2
• Group I carbonates (again apart from lithium carbonate) do not decompose when
heated
• This is due to the high thermal stability of reactive metals; the more reactive the metal
then the more difficult it is to decompose its carbonate
• CuCO3 for example is relatively easy to thermally decompose but K2CO3 does not
decompose
Thermal decomposition of metal nitrates
• All of the metal nitrates decompose when they are heated
• Group I nitrates decompose forming the metal nitrite and oxygen, for example sodium
nitrate decomposes as follows:
2NaNO3 → 2NaNO2 + O2
• Most other metal nitrates form the
corresponding metal oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen when heated, for example
copper nitrate:
2Cu(NO3)2→ 2CuO + 4NO2 + O2
Aluminium and its apparent lack of reactivity
• Aluminium is a curious metal in terms of its reactivity
• It is placed high on the reactivity series but it doesn´t react with water or acids
• This is because the surface of aluminium metal reacts with oxygen in the air forming a
protective coating of aluminium oxide:
4Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3
• The aluminium oxide layer is tough, unreactive and resistant to corrosion
• It adheres very strongly to the aluminium surface and protects it from reaction with
other substances, hence making it appear unreactive
Extraction of Iron from Hematite
The extraction of iron in the blast furnace
Diagram showing the carbon extraction of iron
Raw Materials: Iron Ore (Haematite), Coke, Limestone and Air
Explanation:
• Iron Ore, Coke and Limestone are mixed together and fed into the top of the blast
furnace. Hot air is blasted into the bottom of the blast furnace
• Zone 1
o Coke is used as the starting material.
o It is an impure carbon and it burns in the hot air blast to form carbon dioxide.
o This is a strongly exothermic reaction:
C (s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g)
• Zone 2
o At the high temperatures in the furnace, carbon dioxide reacts with coke to form
carbon monoxide:
CO2 (g) + C (s) → 2CO (g)
• Zone 3
o Carbon Monoxide (the reducing agent) reduces the Iron (III) Oxide in the Iron
Ore to form Iron
o This will melt and collect at the bottom of the furnace, where it is tapped off:
Fe2O3 (s) + 3CO (g) → 2Fe (IIl) + 3CO2 (g)
• Limestone is added to the furnace to remove impurities in the ore.
• The Calcium Carbonate in the limestone decomposes to form calcium Oxide:
CaCO3 (s) → CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
• The Calcium Oxide reacts with the Silicon Dioxide, which is an impurity in the Iron
Ore, to form Calcium Silicate
• This melts and collects as a molten slag floating on top of the molten Iron, which is
tapped off separately:
CaO (s) + SiO2 (s) → CaSiO3 (l)
The Conversion of Iron into Steel
Making steel from iron
• Molten iron is an alloy of 96% iron, with carbon, phosphorus, silicon and sulfur
impurities
• It is too brittle for most uses, so most of it is converted into steel by removing some of
the impurities
• Not all of the carbon is removed as steel contains some carbon, the percentage of which
depends on the use of the steel
• The molten iron is transferred to a tilting furnace where the conversion to steel takes
place
• Oxygen and powdered calcium oxide are added to the iron
• The oxygen oxidises the carbon, phosphorus, silicon and sulfur to their oxides which
are all acidic
• CO2 and SO2 are gaseous so escape from the furnace
• The acidic silicon and phosphorus oxides react with the powdered calcium oxide and
from a slag which is mainly calcium silicate:
SiO2(l) + CaO(s) → CaSiO3(s)
• The slag floats on the surface of the molten iron and is removed.
Steel alloys
• The amount of carbon removed depends on the amount of oxygen used
• By carefully controlling the amount of carbon removed and subsequent addition of
other metals such as chromium, manganese or nickel, the particular type of steel alloy
is produced
Aluminium Extraction & Benefits of Recycling
Extraction of aluminium
• Aluminium is a reactive metal which sits above carbon on the reactivity series.
• It cannot be extracted from its ore (bauxite) by carbon reduction, so electrolysis is
used.
Diagram showing the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis
Recycling metals: iron, steel and aluminium
Advantages
• Raw materials are conserved (bauxite and haematite)
• Energy use is reduced, especially in the electrolysis of aluminium
• Less pollution is produced as both processes contribute to air pollution
Disadvantages
• More transport on roads carrying used metals to recycling centres
• Energy consumed in collecting materials and sorting them per material type
Extended
The Process of Aluminium Extraction by Electrolysis
Raw materials: Aluminium Ore (Bauxite)
Explanation:
• The Bauxite is first purified to produce Aluminium Oxide Al2O3
• Aluminium Oxide has a very high melting point so it is first dissolved in molten
Cryolite producing an electrolyte with a lower melting point, as well as a better
conductor of electricity than molten aluminium oxide. This also reduces expense
considerably
• The electrolyte is a solution of aluminium oxide in molten cryolite at a temperature of
about 1000 °C. The molten aluminium is siphoned off from time to time and fresh
aluminium oxide is added to the cell. The cell operates at 5-6 volts and with a current
of 100,000 amps. The heat generated by the huge current keeps the electrolyte molten
• A lot of electricity is required for this process of extraction, this is a major expense
Reaction at the negative electrode:
The Aluminium melts and collects at the bottom of the cell and is then tapped off:
Al3+ + 3e- → Al
Reaction at the positive electrode:
2O2- - 4e- → O2
Some of the Oxygen produced at the positive electrode then reacts with the Graphite (Carbon)
electrode to produce Carbon Dioxide Gas:
C (s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g)
*This causes the carbon anodes to burn away, so they must be replaced regularly.
Extended
The Process of Zinc Extraction
• Zinc ore is called zinc blende, ZnS
• The zinc blende is first converted to zinc oxide by heating with air:
2ZnS + 3O2 → 2ZnO + 2SO2
• The reducing agent is carbon monoxide which is formed inside the furnace through a
series of reactions
• Carbon burns in a blast of very hot air to form carbon dioxide:
C + O2 → CO2
• The carbon dioxide produced reacts with more coke to form carbon monoxide:
CO2 + C → 2CO
• The carbon monoxide is the reducing agent and reduces the zinc oxide to zinc:
ZnO(s) + CO(g) →Zn(g) + CO2(g)
• Note that the zinc produced is in the gaseous state
• This passes out of the furnace and is cooled and condensed in a tray placed at the top
of the furnace
• This is a key difference between the extraction of iron and aluminium, both of which
are collected at the bottom of the furnace / electrolytic cell in the liquid state
Uses of zinc
• Zinc is used in galvanising, the process of coating a metal such as iron or steel with a
protective coating of zinc to prevent corrosion or rusting
• Galvanising is an effective way of rust protection as it works even if the zinc coating
becomes scratched or damaged
• The process can be done electrolytically or by dipping the metal parts
into baths of molten zinc
• Zinc is also used to make an alloy called brass
• Brass contains 70% copper and 30% zinc
• The addition of zinc makes the alloy much harder and more corrosion resistant than
copper alone
Uses of Copper
Uses of Steel
