Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Naufal the B. S. on 30/07/2009 12:52:38

Title: How can I detect Zinc, Iron, and Steel?
Post by: Naufal the B. S. on 30/07/2009 12:52:38

How can I detect Zinc, Iron, and Steel?
To differ between Zinc, Iron, and Steel.

Title: How can I detect Zinc, Iron, and Steel?
Post by: techmind on 30/07/2009 19:30:16

In what context?

eg how much metal (milligrams, grams)
as pure refined metal, or dispersed on rock or something else

does the test need to be non-destructive, or would you be allowed to dissolve the metal in acid and do some chemistry, for example?

Are all the samples the same size and weight?


Depending on the criteria, you could use:-
 * flame tests (very simple+cheap, but destructive, or at least destroys a small sample)
 * chemical methods (simple+cheap, but destructive, or at least destroys a small sample)
 * other chemical methods such as making a battery, i.e. electrical cell (would distinguish zinc from the others, but iron and steel may be difficult to tell apart) Almost non-destructive if no current drawn.
 * density (assuming you have a solid lump) - simply weigh and measure volume by water-displacement
 * thermal, including specific heat capacity and/or thermal conductivity
 * surface X-ray fluorescence (very easy once you've bought £10k of equipment!) Non-destructive
 * magnetic methods, eg measuring hysteresis loops (zinc is non-magnetic, and the iron and steel will differ in the detail)
 * electromagnetic/AC magnetic techniques eg measuring effects on nearby energised coils
 * possibly acoustic techniques (especially if the samples have the same physical size and shape) or mechanical eg ductility (would probably be considered destructive)

There's loads!


 *

Title: Still i must install oxidizer to my aerosol rocket?
Post by: Naufal the B. S. on 31/07/2009 00:04:23

I don't knew how to differ, djmil.

Title: Still i must install oxidizer to my aerosol rocket?
Post by: Naufal the B. S. on 31/07/2009 00:08:29

I think the magnetic method is a simplest method.
But, could you explain me how to do flametests?

Title: How can I detect Zinc, Iron, and Steel?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 31/07/2009 05:08:53

Very easily, just heat it in a Bunsen burner flame.

Here's the colours

http://webmineral.com/help/FlameTest.shtml

Title: Still i must install oxidizer to my aerosol rocket?t
Post by: Naufal the B. S. on 01/08/2009 04:27:30

How chemical methods?

Title: How can I detect Zinc, Iron, and Steel?
Post by: Bored chemist on 01/08/2009 11:34:48

When you say "iron" do you mean chemically pure iron (which is quite rare) or the stuff called "cast iron" which is a lot more common?

What equipment do you have?
If you have lots of stuff you can do better, more complicated, tests.
If you have no equipment then the best you can do is to leave the metal out in the rain and see if it rusts.

A magnet will tell you if something is cast iron or ordinary steel, but some types of stainless steel are not magnetic.
Also, you might find steel sheet coated with a layer of zinc to stop  it rusting. They call it galvanised iron.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrugated_galvanised_iron