New & hopefully improved electrolytic rust removal

[Franz]

The new experimental tank is up and running, and the results are looking good.
Being basicly lazy, I wanted to find an anode material that didn't require regular cleaning. Stainless was out of the picture because it leaves nasty things in the solution that are called HazMat, so this incarnation is running a graphite anode. Actually, a multilayered fiberglass cloth impregnated with graphite.
Performence, so far, has exceded expectations, and the graphite anode is "self cleaning" for want of a descriptor. Very little of what is pictured here is permanent, this is an experimental setup.
Now, if I can just keep my assistant from getting bright ideas, we may establish a system.

[Franz]

Top view.
The scum on top of the solution is normal, and a good indicator of tank performence.

[Franz]

Before picture, steel object as recovered from the floor of an abandoned machine shop that had flooded.

[Franz]

After 4 hours of electrolytic treatment in the new tank,
It's a #2 Brown & Sharp mill collet.
The black on the collet is carbon, or FeO3, an iron oxide that is not rust. We aren't sure witch, but if anybody has a spectrographic analizer we have samples.

[Guest]

Amazing!

[banzaitoyota]

Where is the cloth available for purchase?

[Danco]

that is amazing! is that the cloth hanging from the angle iron? what about paint? will it remove that as well? good job!

[pontiac]

What did you use for the tank solution?

Most of the sites I see recomend using Washing Soda.
Trouble is nobdy around here sells the stuff..

I checked into it and I found Washing Soda is nothing more than Soda Ash.. also known as Sodium Carbonate.

I've heard PH plus used in swimming pools will work but I havent tried it.

[Franz]

OK guys, let's see if I can do for this product line what I did for the Solar Powered Laundry Dryer kit business.
The "cloth" is a laminated fibreglass matting that's impregnated. I'm getting a supply of flexible graphite sheet for testing, should be here in a week or so, and that may work even better. We are already seeing the "cloth" delaminating, not that that hurts anything.
Yup, it's Arm & Hammer washing soda, also known as Uncle Franz's Secret Rust Remover, and it should be available in the supermarket laundry asile. I think Arm & Hammer even has a store locator on their web site, but if you can't find it, Uncle Franz Secret Ingredient Labs will ship to you in a plain brown wrapper. You can also find it in pool stores as Sodium Carbonate, assuming the kid working there can understand what you are asking for.
The anode material (TOP SECRET) isn't commercially available but if it continues to work out, I'll find a way to get it to certain high quality people like weldors and old engine guys.

Re: Paint, paint that is firmly adhered to the underlying iron isn't effected, other than some dulling of the finish. Paint that is over rust comes off. Brass and babbit bearings are not effected, nor is aluminum. We're still learning.
Check this pic out, it's a 2 wheel grinder head with babbit bearings. It went into the tank covered with rust, and came out this way 4 hours later.
Please bear in mind we are NOT going for a high speed process here, we never expected the speed up of the process we are seeing. Best I can figure out is that we are gaining speed because the anode is NOT contaminating, as it does when steel is used for an anode.

[Franz]

Yes, that is the "cloth" hanging from angle iron.
We had considerable problems acheiving good conductivity to the "cloth" initially, so I took a shot by sandwiching it between 2 pieces of perforated angle from the scrap pile. Conductivity came up to what we needed.
This tank is about 20 x 30 x 24 deep.

[Arbo]

Franz,

That truly is very impressive. How close does the anode need to be to the object being teated? Does it actually touch the object? Are there any fumes/odors associated with the process? I assume that the power source is either a battery, or battery charger. Is that correct, and if so how many amps are you running? What is the solution recipe? Sorry for so many questions, I'm just trying to learn.

[dekker]

Is your 'cloth' similar to http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...bigraphite.php or http://www.wicksaircraft.com/gotopage.php?page=20 (bottom right) ?

[gnewby]

Franz don't know what happened to my first message, but I am not having near as good results with my tank. I thought I would show you how I have it hooked up and see if you can tell me if I have something wrong with it?

[gnewby]

Didn' t get picture attached to it will try again.

[gnewby]

2nd picture of tank. Positive lead is hooked to piece of stainless steel that surounds the inside of the tank. The negative lead is hooked to two lawnmower blades that have been bolted together, they are submerged in the solution and a cable runs from the blades to the item sitting in the bottem of the tank.