The Shop > Tools
De-Rusting - Experiments with Citric Acid.
Pete W.:
Hi there, all,
As the photos at the start of this thread show, I found citric acid fairly effective in removing rust from steel parts.
I recently found some DTI stand parts among a job-lot I'd acquired some time ago. They were rusty so I decided to give them the citric acid treatment.
They were also rather greasy so I swilled them in some isopropyl alcohol first and then carefully dried them.
I put them in a plastic pot with a couple of dessert spoons of citric acid crystals and topped-up with warm water. So far, there is no apparent action!!!
It's the same batch of citric acid as I used back in February 2014 and it's been in a sealed container all that time. Even if there had been some ingress of atmosphere or moisture, I can't think of any chemical reaction that could have reduced its effectiveness. So, I'm :scratch: :scratch: :scratch:
awemawson:
I reckon that the parts have some lacquer or whatever on the surface. I've stored crystals of citric acid for years and not had any degradation of it's effectiveness.
Bluechip:
I've used the electrolytic caper many times and have been baffled why that didn't work occasionally.
I have been told anything that has a phosphate, Sherardized or gun-blue finish may well fail to clean up too well. The original finish may not be apparent.
This was long after I stopped so I cannot verify it ... :scratch:
Get another bit of rusty steel and try that, I see no reason why citric acid should 'go off' as it were ..
Dave
hermetic:
I have some apple trees at my workshop, that is why it is called "Appletree works" and every year I try to make cider, and some is superb, and some goes wrong! I use the wrong stuff for derusting, and it works very well indeed, have also used it with electrolysis, and that works too. Anything with a bit of acidity will dissolve the rust, I was well impressed with some thread guages that, to look at, were really too far gone, but they cleaned to the point where the engraving is chrystal clear, and most of them are perfect bright metal again, and all done in bad cider, with no electrickery! Citric acid I suppose!
Phil
howsitwork?:
probably acetic acid from the alcohol breaking down rather than citric.
Interesting thread. I have tried electrolysis on drills , someone mentioned that this causes "hydrogen embrittlement " of the tools? They still cut OK so don't know how true , or critical for use this is.
Ian
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