Chemical Rust Removers? 1

[innovator]

I have a lot of intricate steel parts which I wish to plate and powder coat, but they have a light coating of rust.

In the past I have sand blasted, but recently I have seen advertised powders that are disolved in water and you immerse the steel parts and it cleans the rust off.

Internet searches have indicated that oxalic acid,and various other acids are used as rust removers, but I can not find any formula.

Does anybody know about chemical rust removal from steel?

Is it possible and effective?

Thank you

John

 

[tomwalz]

We are Northwest Research Institute and we do a lot of work on oxidation and removing oxidation from hardmetals and ceramics.

However, for rust on steel I keep some white vinegar under the sink at home. When a salt water fishing knife gets rusty I just let it soak in white vienegar for a while (maybe overnight). Pull it out and hit it with a scotch green pad and it cleans up pretty well.

Tom

 

[kenvlach]

I recommend a phosphoric acid solution. These leave a thin iron phosphate film on the surface, which gives limited rust protection, and acts as a paint base.
See

http://www.finishing.com/198/33.html

for references to MIL specs. that you can download from ASSIST:

http://assist2.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/

 

[wroberts]

You can also use Hydrocloric acid with a 3% solution of "PavPrep"

http://www.pavco.com/index2.htm.

It's some kind of alcohol based liquid. It keeps the acid from eating the metal. I used to work for them and used it, in small amounts, to clean up and restore old motorcycles. You can put parts in an it fizzes off all the rust in short order, you can also forget about for weeks, and the parts will be fine. Many platers also use it as Pavco is a chemical plating company.

Will

 

[innovator]

Thankyou for the information.

John

 

[arbo]

contact

http://wwww.arbochim.be

we will give you the right formulation

 

[gdodd]

A solution we use with considerable success for cleaning rusty field returns is 6N hydrochloric acid with 2 g/l hexamine as detailed in the Metals Handbook Volume 11.