What chemicals like salt rust iron and steel?

Question

its for a science project. Answers would be greatly appriciated.

Answer 1

Metals, such as Iron, “rust” through a process known as oxidization.
Without going into too many details of the oxidation process, when metals rust they are chemically converted into a new substance (for example, Iron metal oxidizes in air to form Iron Oxide, the substance we commonly call “rust”).

Metals “rust” is the presence of an oxidizing substance. Oxygen from the air is a very common oxidizing substance, but there are other oxidizing substances too which are capable of oxidizing Iron and producing Iron Oxide. Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl), which is commonly found in solutions of house-hold bleach (“Clorox” for example) will also oxidize Iron and produce Iron Oxide.
The key to rust formation is an oxidizing substance.

Other substances can help the oxidation process of Iron even though they, themselves, are not oxidizing substance. Substances such as water and salt are also commonly associated with rusting Iron, however they are not technically required. Iron can still be oxidized without the presence of salt water (for example), but the process is generally much slower, by comparison, than when the Iron is merely exposed to dry air (containing Oxygen).

A few experiments to illustrate what I am saying would be to test other oxidizing substances’ ability to rust Iron. For example, you could submerge some Iron nails in bleach for a few hours and see what happens, and perhaps compare this to the effects of submerging some nails in a non-oxidizing substance such as vegetable oil, for example, which will keep air and moisture away from the Iron and prevent it from rusting. Also, you could test to see the effects of salt water on the rate at which Iron will rust by partially submerging some, uncoated, steel wool in plain water and different concentrations of salt water.
Doing this, you will find that the bleach will rapidly rust the Iron nails, and that the concentrated salt water solutions will facilitate much more rapid oxidization of the steel wool compared to the lower concentrations or the plain water.

Answer 2

A chemical 'Salt' is a substance with a metal cation and an acid anion.
such things as:-
sodium chloride (NaCl) (Table Salt)
potassium nitrate (KNO3) for Gunpowder
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) Limestone
are salts.

Rust is the oxide of iron.
Its chemical name is iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3). and is the principal ore of iron.
Other iron oxides are FeO (ferrous oxide) and Fe3O4 haematite.
Iron(III)oxide is acidic in solution.

Iron. An element which is produced when iron(III)oxide is reduced in the blast furnace using Coke(Carbon - C) and the chemical salt, Calcium Carbonate - limestone.
It is a heavy dense metal. It is used in various forms for construction, machinery, tools etc.

Steel. Is a form of iron were the carbon content is controlled.
The carbon content of steel ranges from 0.1% to 1.0%.
These different amounts of carbon give steel various properties, such as razor strip, machine tools, sheet steel for cars etc.,