[SEL] Cleaning rusty engine parts with electrolysis

[Bill Dickerson]

http://antique-engines.com/electrol-details.asp

During electrolysis the rust turns from orange to black. In most cases, the
rust next to the iron is reduced to iron metal. This reduced iron will form
a somewhat porous layer of new iron on the metal object being cleaned. After
electrolysis the iron object will rust very quickly unless it is protected
because this porous layer of new iron has a high surface area. The rest of
the rust may reduce to a variety of compounds depending on the compounds in
the original rust and the details of the electrolysis. Typically the black
stuff that can be rubbed off after electrolysis is a mixture of iron metal
and magnetite, Fe3O4 , an oxide of iron. Magnetite is an intermediate
product in the reduction of rust to iron metal. It is the black stuff in
magnetic recording tapes.
So once your parts are cleaned or removed from the solution, you'll want to
rinse and brush them off to remove the loose iron, dry them quickly and
completely, and protect them with primer or other rust preventative.


Bill
Runnells
 

-----Original Message-----
From: sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com
[mailto:sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com] On Behalf Of Ed stoller
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 8:09 PM
To: The SEL email discussion list
Subject: Re: [SEL] Cleaning rusty engine parts with electrolysis

My old brain  still like the simplicity of Rick's formula.

Speaking of ions, when I use electrolysis, my part turns black like is goes
from a red rust to a black rust.  Are there two types of rust: FeO and FeO2?

Or is it just that the iron molecules when stripped of the Oxygen just look
black.

Ed Stoller
New Fairfield, CT
http://home.earthlink.net/~edstoller/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Skinner" <rskinner at rustyiron.com>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Cleaning rusty engine parts with electrolysis


>
> On Jan 11, 2007, at 5:47 PM, Ed stoller wrote:
>
>> I thought Rick had a great simple way for me to remember which lead  goes

>> where now I am all messed up.
>
>
> Hi Ed,
> Don't feel bad.  I have to stop and think about it every time I play  with

> elecrolysis -- whether for removing rust or making rust.
>
> If you can remember back to chemistry class, the iron oxide molecule  is 
> locked together because the iron ion has a positive charge and the  oxide 
> ion has a negative charge.  Opposites attract, and it's really  hard to 
> separate the two.
>
> When doing electrolysis, remember that opposites attract, and like 
> charges repel.  If you connect your part to the negative side of your 
> power supply, and your anode to the positive, the oxide ions are  going to

> be blown off your part and sucked over toward the anode.   The iron ions 
> are not going to want to go anywhere, because they're  positive and 
> they're connected to the negative side of your circuit.
>
> But if you want to CREATE rust on your part, hook your part to the 
> positive side of your power supply and your cathode to the negative. 
> Your part will now attract all the stray oxygen ions over to it,  creating

> a coating of rust.
>
> I'm sure this is overly simplistic and technically flawed, but it's a 
> good way to look at it so you don't hook up your circuit backwards.
>
> Rob
>
>
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