RESEARCH PLAN

Electrochemical Cleaning of Ferrous Metals through Transfer of Corrosion

A. Question or Problem being addressed

Metals that are exposed to the natural environment are vulnerable to corrosion such as

oxidation and sulfidation. All metals corrode unless they are kept protected from the elements.

Expensive jewelry, bikes, planes, cars, wrenches, bells, metal statues, and other everyday metal

equipment used every day are slowly corroding from the elements of nature and time. Money is

wasted replacing these corroded metals. Thousands and millions of dollars are spent on

rebuilding, replacing, and repairing the metals that hold up the human civilization. But through

electrochemistry, the corrosion on these metals can be reversed. The galvanic cleansing process

and reduction are the specific processes in electrochemistry to reverse the chemical reaction.

They are the things that will beat corrosion and oxidation.

The corrosion of metals is an electrochemical reaction. Electrochemical reactions are

sequences of steps that involve the electron transfer in the outer sphere, which creates a chemical

reaction. (Hume, 1969). Being a chemical reaction, the changes are usually permanent because it

changes the makeup of the substance, so the unappealing marks of corrosion are there to stay.

But there is a way to reverse this chemical reaction. It is by using the electrochemical reduction
cleaning process, which will stop, stabilize and reverse the oxidation and sulfuration on the

surface or exposed area of the metal (Plenderleith and Werner, 1973). The electrochemical

reaction happens when two metals have different positions on the galvanic or electromotive

series of metals without EMF (electromotive force) and are in contact to exchange electrons and

ions. (Brockris, 2014)

B. Goals/Expected Outcomes/Hypotheses

To come to a conclusion and understanding of how different raw metals (Silver,

Copper,Lead, Tin, Aluminum, and Magnesium) are electrochemically cleaned by

transferring theircorrosion to other different metals (Silver, Copper, Lead, Tin,

Aluminum, and Magnesium). The independent variable will be the metals that will receive

the transferred corrosion. The controlled variable will be the metals being cleaned. The

dependent variable is the amount of lumens reflected off the cleaned metal, which will

indicate how clean the metal is.

C. Materials

3x1 cm Pre-cut .61mm thick Silver, Silver, Copper, Lead, Tin, Aluminum, and

Magnesium Foil

● 5x6 cm Pre-cut 61mm thick Silver, Silver, Copper, Lead, Tin, Aluminum, and
Magnesium Foil
● 15ml Sulfuric Acid
● 30ml Cup
● 20ml Tap water
● 25g Washing Soda
● 600ml Heat Resisting Beaker
● Graduated Cylinder
● Light Meter
● Timer
● Room Temperature 20°C
● Lamp
● Protractor
● Ruler
● Light bulb (9 watt, 120VAC, 60Hz, 150mA, 600 lumens)
● Black Construction paper with pre-cut (1cm x 1cm) square in the middle
● Black Construction paper with a white dot in the middle of the paper
● Hard Boiled Egg Yolk
● Wash Cloth
● Tripod Mount (15cm tall)
● Dark Room
● NuWave Pic
● Sauté Pan
● Ceramic Container
● Black Spray painted Pennies
● Gloves
● Goggles
D. Procedures

1. Go into the pitch black room

2. Extend the neck of the lamp so that it is 35mm above the table
3. Tape the black construction paper over the light bulb so that the precut square is
aligned
with the light bulb, so that light can directly come out of the lamp
4. Tape the full sheet of black construction paper under the lamp, so that when the lamp
is
turned on, the light will directly hit the white dot on the full sheet of black construction
paper on the table.
5. Create a barrier of black construction paper all around the work area.
6. Place the tripod mount 13cm away from the white dot and tape the light meter’s sensor
so
that it is at a 45° with the white dot and table
7. Place four black pennies directly on the white dot
8. Turn on both the light bulb and the light meter so that the light bulb is at its max
lumens
and so that the light meter is measuring at 200 LUX or 2000 LUX if the measurement
exceeds.
9. Place the precut 3x1 metal foil (Silver, Copper, Tin, Iron Zinc, Aluminum, and
Magnesium Foil) leaning on the pennies, so that it is facing the light meter sensor and
focusing the light from the lamp into the light meter.
10. Measure the amount of lumens the 3x1 metal foil reflects off to get how clean the
metal
is without any corrosion at first.
11. Remove egg yolk from the egg and crumble it into a Ziploc bag
12. Place the 3x1 cm metal foil piece in the bag without the metal foil sticking to the yolk
and rub sulfuric acid on the metal.

Last Name: The Universal Metal Cleanser

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13. Wait 24 hours and remove the metal foil and wipe away egg yolk and acid with cloth
14. Repeat step 7-10 to record the corrosion of the metal after 24 hours
15. Create an electrolyte solution by pouring 20 ml of distilled water and adding 25 g of
washing soda solution into the beaker to get about a 1:1 ratio of water and washing soda.
16. Mix the solution
17. Fill the sauté pan with tap water half way below the rim.
18. Place the pan onto the NuWave Pic and regulate the temperature so that it is at a
constant
temperature 100°C
19. Submerge the 5x6 precut metal foil (Silver, Copper, Lead, Tin, Aluminum, or
Magnesium Foil) into the solution in the beaker and the 3x1 corroded metal foil (Silver,
Copper, Lead, Tin, Aluminum, or Magnesium Foil) on top of it.
20. Place the beaker into the boiling sauté pan
21. Wait for 15 minutes and take out of the sauté pan afterwards
22. Repeat step 7-10 to record how well each metal was cleaned
23. Repeat steps 7-16 for each metal (Silver, Copper, Tin, Iron Zinc, Aluminum, and
Magnesium Foil) to be cleaned by each metal (Silver, Copper, Tin, Iron Zinc, Aluminum,
and Magnesium Foil) to have a total of 5 trials.