Electrolysis Everyone should try this. DIY.

Discussion in 'Tools, Equipment & Fasteners' started by Admin, Jun 3, 2007.

  1. Admin Guest

    Hi, not to shore where to post this so, if this is not the right forum sorry, and can you please move it.

    Well I think everyone should read this as it could be a benefit - as most of are cars are getting quite old now.

    I'm not going to bore everyone with loads of science but how does the idea of DIY complete rust removal sound without any hard work?

    I read a thread the other day about electrolysis here and thought I would give it go, I remember back to my school days of Anodes and Cathodes but I was far to busy back then dreaming of other things ;) So a quick refresher of how electrolysis works (here) and off I went.

    This is a very rusty I-Link, it's been on my car from new and I was going to throw it out.
    IMG_2436.jpg

    Here is the 'cell' (created from anything plastic; Ice cream carton, bucket, washing up bowl etc) with the water/saline solution, a battery charger, an Anode (a lump of iron - old disc brake in this case) and the cathode (The I-link i want to remove the rust from.)
    IMG_2439.jpg

    The saline solution is made from adding one tablespoon of washing soda (Arm & Hammer, baking soda for example) to 4 Litres of tap water - that simple. I used this as i didn't have anything else, but, it work really well.
    IMG_2435.jpg

    As I said the Anode needs to be a lump of iron preferably, bigger the better, this is then connected to the RED POSITIVE terminal. And the Cathode is the metal to be rust treated, this is then connected to the BLACK NEGATIVE terminal. Switch the battery charger on and (As long as you have good connections - my need to scrape some rust off) you will see small bubbles rising from the Cathode. [:D]
    IMG_2440.jpg

    After a few hours I took the I-link out and scrubbed it under running water, it looked like this.
    IMG_2442.jpg

    After a few more hours I removed it again and it was rust free! [:D] Note the oxidation that occurs turns the metal black.
    IMG_2448.jpg
    IMG_2447.jpg

    So there you go, as simple as that with no hard work involved, you can do this on a larger scale if needed and if the object is to big then you can do parts of it at a time. (Note; remember that the Anode dissolves away, this will include the terminal if it is submerged.)

    To re-cap here is a list of parts you will need;

    A PLASTIC container.
    A Battery charger.
    Washing Soda.
    A IRON Anode connected to the RED POSITIVE terminal.
    A rusty Cathode connected to the BLACK NEGATIVE terminal.
    That is all you need.

    NOTE; In my picture I'm using a battery as well as the battery charger, this is because the battery charger will not pass current until there is enough resistance (It's a safety feature) So to get around this I connected it to a battery (As that will give the correct resistance) and then used jump leads to connected the battery and charger to the 'cell'.

    So if your doing a project at the mo' this might be a lot cheaper and more effective than blast the metal back.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 4, 2007
    Nige likes this.
  2. rupe Forum Member

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    Good work :thumbup: the thread you linked too, the pictures no longer work but I still have them.

    Before
    Injector_before_500.jpg

    During
    1_hour_500.jpg

    After
    Injector_after_500.jpg

    :)
     
  3. KeithMac Forum Junkie

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    Looks good, might have to try that myself!.
     
  4. Admin Guest

    Iv been trying this all day today and as you can see with the pics it works and it works damn well!

    So I was thinking again - probebly shouldn't do this to much. But I thought about how the precess works. It creates Positive charged Ions (Out of the Anode material) on the Anode that are then attracted to the Negative Cathode. Once the Ions attach to the Cathode they form a plating! So putting my chemestry knowledge to the test I thought about using Copper as the Anode, this would then be attracked as an ion over to the cathode and form a coating/plate, or so in therory!

    I had to wait until the rust removal was complete, but i then set up a simular experiment with the difference being the Anode was made of copper.

    At the moment it's still going on but, the copper is being transfered onto the Cathode as a plate!!! Im so happy this means I can now plate ferous metals with a corosion resistant layer!!!.

    This is not the end tho', as it has worked with Copper, with my Test results and chemical knowledge I'll commit to saying that it will also work with SILVER and GOLD!!!. - I will test this and let you see the out come.

    But this means that you can BLING your engine bay up with gold or silver plate for not alot of money - If you are that way inclined.

    Now im going to have to do some more research (As im not 100% convinced yet) but I beleive again this will work with Aluminium alloys, if it does work tho', it means you will be able to plate inlet manifolds, heads and the like in corrosion resistant shiney materials! All for the price of some electricity and the Anode material.

    Ill conduct some more experiments and publish the results up here. (or you could have a play yourself)

    NOTE; after extensive net research and reading (Most of Today) it is NOT possiable to Chrome plate materials vior DIY, the required 'solution' for Chroming is Hexavalent chromium, this material is very toxic and requires disposing off through the correct channels. Hexavalent chromium courses skin erritation, resportary problems if in hailed and cancer - not nice stuff this is from experiance. Also if a cup of this stuff was spilt it would posion the water supply in a large area!!
     
  5. Admin Guest

    Ha ha, here are the update pics I said i would post.

    This shows how I have bent the copper Anode around the 'cell' to produce better and quicker effects. The process works via line of sight.
    IMG_2451.jpg

    Here's the I-Link so far, it's not complete but it is on it's way to being plated.
    IMG_2452.jpg
     
  6. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    Wicked stuff, definitely going to give it a go. Will be interesting to see how your plating ideas work, too. Could the copper plating idea be a good way to prepare and rust-proof a rusty old metal component prior to painting?
     
  7. Admin Guest

    Yes. As you have said it will be a very good way of protecting the material, specially with a layer of paint over the top of the copper plate.
     
  8. DarrenH Forum Member

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    makes sense, because allot of vintage cars had a positive earth, i.e the chassis was live and subsequently they found it accelerated chassis and engine corrosion
     
  9. voteforpedro Forum Member

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    I don't have a bucket - will an old sump pan do?
     
  10. sutherlandm Forum Junkie

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    There was I hoping I'd soon have a "cure" for a bit of back fur.
     
  11. rupe Forum Member

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    No as it's metal
     
  12. StuMc

    StuMc Moderator and Regional Host - Manchester Moderator

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    Buy one! [:s] Only a couple of quid!

    I reckon a washing-up basin would be better though.
     
  13. Dono Forum Member

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    anybody got a bucket big enough for my car?
     
  14. neil kaye Forum Junkie

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    laffin at that

    thanks youv just made my day,small minds and all that but that coment you made as anyone got a big enuf bucket for my car,well that tickled me pink you took the words right outa my mouth,neil
     
  15. barny Forum Member

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    Interesting thread, will work well with my shot blast cabinet too !
     
  16. Mike_H Forum Addict

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    If you copper plate iron, then the iron will corrode sacrificially to protect the copper. Use zinc or aluminium, which will corrode to protect the iron.

    That's why galvanising works.

    Please Send Charlie McLean A Zebra, etc.!
     
  17. planetxking

    planetxking Forum Member

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    if you were to go for plating something, would you have to de-rust it with an iron anode first and then repeat with your plating anode like zine etc?

    or could you just straight in with the the zinc and it would de-rust and plate it?
     
  18. Dubmuffin Forum Member

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    :lol: I have an idea, how does everyone feel about sharing the cost of hiring out a swimming pool for the day and having a mass de-rust of cars...
     
  19. Matt G Forum Member

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    get yourself down to wilko's - 6 litre washing up basin will cost you 79p - i got one for oil changes!
     
  20. gtijon Forum Member

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    Looks good. Washing soda (get it from Wilko) works faster than baking powder.

    BTW, the plating looks very handy - my experience of doing this (did my calipers when I refurbed em) is that the cleaned surface will rust *very* quickly. Basically the surface area is huge and it takes just atmospheric moisture to start turning things orange again.

    And Pedro: clean the inside of the sump back to bare metal, put your item to be cleaned in it in some sort of waffly plastic box, and use the sump as the anode. It'll eventually get eaten away but the surface area will be mint.
     

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