Metals

1. Properties of metals
 Metals are solids that
o Have high melting and boiling points / high densities
 Held together by strong metallic bonds
o Are malleable, soft and ductile
 Atoms are packed regularly in layers, that can side over each other
easily
o Good conductors of heat and electricity
 There are mobile electrons
 Alloys are a mixture of a metal with another element
o Bronze = copper and tin
o Brass = copper and zinc
o Stainless steel = iron chromium, nickel and carbon
 Pure metals have their atoms in a regular arrangement. Alloys have foreign atoms in
their structure
 Alloys are
o Stronger than it constituents (harder and less malleable)
 The foreign atoms in the structure makes it harder for the layers of
atoms of side over each other
o More attractive
 Pewter is an alloy of tin, antimony and copper
 More attractive than pure tin
o More resistant to corrosion
 Pure copper corrodes easily, its alloy doesn’t. (copper coins)
o Used to lower melting points
 Solder is an alloy of tin and lead.
 Used to join metals due to its low melting point, lower than pure
tin/lead
2. Reactivity series
Metal Add cold water Add hot steam Add dilute HCl Carbon Hydrogen
reduction reduction
Potassium Violently, KOH
and H2
produced, lilac Explosive
flame as well Dangerous reaction
Sodium Violently,
to conduct
NaOH and H2
Calcium Reacts readily, Violently, CaCl2

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 Ca(OH)2 and H2 and H2 Cannot be Cannot be
Magnesium Very slowly, Violently, MgO Rapidly, MgCl2
reduced reduced
Mg(OH)2 and and H2, with and H2
H2 bright white
glow
Carbon
Zinc Reacts readily, Moderately
ZnO and H2, fast, ZnCl2 and
ZnO is yellow H2
when hot,
white when
cold
Iron Slowly, Fe3O4 Slowly, FeCl2 Can be
No reaction and H2, red-hot and H2 reduced
iron needed Heated
Lead
oxides can
Hydrogen
Copper be
Silver No reaction No reaction Reduced reduced
simply by
heating
Gold Found as pure gold in earth

 The reactivity of the metals are based on their tendency to form positive ions
o A more reactive metal would displace a less reactive metal from their solution
 The more reactive the metal, the greater the tendency to from ions
o A more reactive metal would displace a less reactive metal from their oxides
 The more reactive the metal, the more readily it forms compounds
 Thermal decomposition
o The more reactive the metal, the more stable the compounds it forms, the
harder it is to be decomposed
o Potassium and sodium compound cannot be thermally decomposed
o Calcium - Copper can be thermally decomposed, forming metal oxide and CO 2
o Silver is so unreactive that it decomposes to from silver and CO 2
3. Extraction of metals
 Metals must first be mined, then concentrated, then reduced then refined to give pure
metals
 The more reactive the metal, the harder is it to extract the metal from its ore
 Potassium – Magnesium = electrolysis
 Zinc – Silver = carbon reduction
 Gold = found naturally uncombined in the earth
4. Recycling of metals

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  Metals are a finite resource, hence we need to recycle them to prevent depletion
 Social impact
o Recycling produces less poisonous waste than extraction
o Recycling reduces the land taken up by mining
o However, it will take time and effort for communities and businesses to practice
recycling as a way of life
 Economic impact
o It can be more costly to recycle metals
 Money is spent on transport, sorting and cleaning of metals
 Thus companies find recycling not worth while
 Environmental impact
o With recycling, there will be less need to dig for metal ores
 Less land is taken up, more can be used for other stuff (agriculture)
 Less air and water pollution
 Less landfills for waste materials needed
 Less fossil fuels used in extraction
5. Iron
 Blast furnace
o Iron is extracted from haematite, in the blast furnace
o Haematite, coke and limestone is added from the top of the furnace, hot air
from bottom.
o Carbon is first combusted to CO2 then reduced to CO due to excess coke
 C + O2  CO2, CO2 + C  2 CO
o Limestone is decomposed and impurities removed, forming slag
 CaCO3 CaO + CO2, CaO + SiO2  CaSiO3
o Haematite is reduced to iron
 Fe2O3 + 3 CO  2Fe + 3 CO2
o Slag floats on molten (impure) iron
 Steel alloys
o Steel is an alloy of iron with carbon and/or other metals

Steel Components Uses Special properties

Low carbon steel Iron, carbon Car bodies and machinery hard, strong and
(mild steel) (up to 0.25%) malleable
High carbon steel Iron, carbon cutting and boring tools strong but brittle
(0.45 – 1.5%)
Stainless steel Iron, equipments in chemical resistant to
chromium, plants, cutlery and surgical corrosion
nickel, carbon instruments
 Rusting
o Causes

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  Caused by presence of oxygen and water, reacting with iron to from
hydrated iron(III) oxide
 Acidic substances accelerate the rusting process
o Prevention
 Protective layer
 The protective layer prevents water and oxygen from coming
into contact with the iron
 However, if scratched and iron is exposed, iron will rust.
 Painting, greasing, plastic coating
 Sacrificial protection
 A metal that is more reactive than iron, magnesium and zinc, is
connected to iron
 They would corrode preferentially, in place of iron , as they give
electrons to iron
 However, they require constant replacement
 Galvanising
 It is the coating of iron with a layer of another metal
 This provides a protective layer, and sacrificial protection, if zinc
or magnesium is used

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