CHEMISTRY

PROJECT
AISSCE 1016-17

Name: SOUMENDU
BISWAS
Class: XII
Board Roll no:
SUDHIR MEMORIAL
INSTITUTE, Doltala,
Madhyamgram

DECLARATION
I, Soumendu Biswas, Roll No. _____________,
hereby declare that the project entitled To determine
and analyze the constituents of an alloy has been
completed and submitted by me to the Department of
Chemistry, Sudhir Memorial Institute, for Chemistry
Practical of AISSCE 2017, conducted by CBSE, New
Delhi.
I have done this project under the guidance of my
Chemistry Teacher Mrs. Moumita Chakraborty.

_______________
___

SIGNATURE

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Master Soumendu Biswas,
Class XII of Sudhir Memorial Institute, Board Roll
No: ____________ has carried out genuine
investigation to complete this project on the topic To
determine and analyze the constituents of an alloy
for the Chemistry Practical of AISSCE 2017.

_____________________
TEACHERS SIGNATURE

Sl.no
.
1.

Acknowledgement

Pg.
no.
1

2.

Objective

3.

Introduction

4.

Requirements

5.

Theory

6.

Procedure

7.

Observation

8.

Result

10

9.

Bibliography

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to

my teacher Mrs. Moumita Chakraborty under whose
guidance I have done this project on the topic To
determine and analyze the constituents of an alloy.

Secondly I thank respected Principal Sir for providing

required apparatus and lab facilities demanded for the
project.

I would also like to thank my parents who encouraged

me and helped me a lot in finishing this project within the
given time.

OBJECTIVE

GENERAL OBJECTIVE:
This project was carried out to gain knowledge regarding
alloys, their constituents and uses. The project mainly
stress on analyzing the alloys for their constituents and
appreciating the chemistry behind it.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE:
In this project, the alloy, brass has been qualitatively
analyzed in order to find out their constituents.

INTRODUCTION

An alloy is a mixture of either pure or fairly

pure chemical elements, which forms an impure substance
(admixture) that retains the characteristics of a metal. An
alloy is distinct from an impure metal, such as wrought
iron, in that, with an alloy, the added impurities are
usually desirable and will typically have some useful
benefit. Alloys are made by mixing two or more elements;
at least one of which being a metal. This is usually called
the primary metal or the base metal, and the name of this
metal may also be the name of the alloy. The other
constituents may or may not be metals but, when mixed
with the molten base, they will be soluble, dissolving into
the mixture.

Alloys are used in a wide variety of applications. In some

cases, a combination of metals may reduce the overall
cost of the material while preserving important properties.
In other cases, the combination of metals imparts
synergistic properties to the constituent metal elements
such as corrosion resistance or mechanical strength.
Examples of alloy are steel, solder, brass, pewter,
duralumin, phosphor bronze and amalgams.
Brass is a metal alloy made of copper (50%90%) and zinc (20%-40%); the proportions of zinc and
copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with
varying properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the
two constituents may replace each other within the same
crystal structure. Brass is used for decoration for its bright
gold-like appearance; for applications where
low friction is required such as locks, gears,
bearings, doorknobs, ammunition casings and valves; for
plumbing and electrical applications; and extensively
in brass musical instruments such as horns and bells
where a combination of high workability (historically
with hand tools) and durability is desired. It is also used
in zippers. Brass is often used in situations in which it is
important that sparks not be struck, such as in fittings and
tools used near flammable or explosive materials.

This project deals with the qualitative analysis of a

sample of brass.

REQUIREMENTS

APPARATUS REQUIRED:
China dish, test tube, funnel, filter paper.

CHEMICALS REQUIRED:
Brass, 50% Nitric Acid (HNO3), dilute Hydrochloric acid
(HCl), distilled water (H2O), Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S)
gas, Ammonium Hydroxide solution (NH4OH), solid
Ammonium Chloride (NH4CL), Potassium Ferrocyanide
(K4[Fe(CN)6]) solution

THEORY

A small piece of brass is dissolved in 50% Nitric acid

when metals get converted to their nitrates. After the
removal of excess Nitric acid, the solution is tested for
Cu+2 and Zn+2 ions.

3 Cu + 8HNO3(dil.)

3 Cu (NO3)2 + 2NO + 4H2O

or

Cu + 8H+ + 2NO3

3 Cu+2 + 2NO + 4H2O

4Zn + 10HNO3 (dil.)

4 Zn (NO2)2 + N2O + 5H2O

4Zn + 2NO3 + 10H

4 Zn+2 + N2O + 5H2O

The solution is boiled to expel the oxides of nitrogen and

the resulting solution is tested for Cu+2 and Zn+2 ions.

PROCEDURE

1. Place a small piece of brass in a china dish and heat this

with minimum quantity of 50% HNO3 so as to dissolve
the piece completely.
2. Continue heating the solution till a dry solid residue is
obtained.
3. Dissolve the solid residue in dilute HCl and filter. Add
distilled water to the filtrate.

4. Pass H2S gas through the filtrate. A black precipitate of

copper sulphide is obtained. Separate the black precipitate
and keep the filtrate for the test of Zn+2 ions. Dissolve
black precipitate by heating them with 50% HNO3. To this
solution add ammonium hydroxide solution. Appearance
of deep blue colouration in the solution shows the
presence of copper ions in the solution.
5. To test Zn+2 ions, boil the filtrate to remove H2S gas,
then add solid NH4Cl to this and heat to dissolve NH4Cl.
Add excess of NH4OH so that a solution is ammoniacal.
Now pass H2S gas through this ammoniacal solution.
Dirty white or grey precipitation indicate zinc. Separate
the precipitates and dissolve it in minimum amount of dil.
HCl. Boil to expel H2S gas and add potassium Ferro
cyanide solution, white or bluish white ppt. confirm
Zn+2 ions in the solution.

OBSERVATION

1. A black precipitate of copper sulphide is obtained when

H2S gas is passed through the filtrate.

2. When the black precipitate is heated with 50% HNO3, it

gets dissolved.
3. Dirty white or grey precipitate occurs (indicating zinc)
when H2S is passed through the ammoniacal solution.
4. When a solution of minimum amount of dilute HCl and
the precipitate is boiled, H2S gas is expelled.
5. White or bluish white precipitate, formed when
potassium ferrocyanide is added, confirms presence of
Zn+2 ions in the solution.

RESULT

Brass contains copper and zinc as main constituents and

small amounts of tin, lead and iron as impurities.

Composition:

Copper

Zinc

Impurities

Copper :

50% - 90%

Zinc :

20% - 40%

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Comprehensive Chemistry Practical Class

XII
Alloy. Wikipedia.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy
NCERT Chemistry Class XII

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TEACHERS SIGNATURE

SIGNATURE
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