# Chemical Rust Strip Shops, Using oxalic acid.



## GiovanniLiCalsi (Mar 7, 2019)

I thought I would look into the rust stripping businesses, to find out what methods and chemicals they’re using, today. They all seem to be using methods and stripping chemicals, from the last century.
They, first, advised to have my rusty steel sandblasted and when I requested chemical stripping, they wanted to use hydrochloric acid.
They do not have a clue about oxalic acid. 
This is very hard to comprehend, in this day and age. I can only imagine flushing out the inside of tubing, after dipping in hydrochloric acid. 
It would be innovative to develop a chemical strip business plan, using large vats, with ultrasonic vibrators, filled with oxalic acid solutions. It would be much safer for the metals and environmentally sound. If you build it, they will come....


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## OhioJones (Mar 8, 2019)

If you supply the finances I will build it and then they can come.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Mar 8, 2019)

The stainless steel ultrasonic vats are easy to make. It’s possible buy used dairy tanks and install vibrators (orbital sanders) and heating elements.


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## morton (Mar 9, 2019)

I imagine that the EPA would be on such a business like flies on dung and it would take years and millions of $ just to get a go ahead.

I think so time ago I had read that a company was returning water to a river that was purer than that taken in yet was still fined virtually out if business.

We do need a watchdog like the EPA but seemingly like many government agencies excessive zeal sometimes replaces common sense.


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## rusty_apache (Mar 9, 2019)

While it is from the last century You might consider electrolytic cleaning.
It sheds the oxidation and stops at bare metal. I just pressure wash the objects afterwards but you can also buff it up with scotchbrite or wire brush. The only byproduct is a rootbeer float made up of rust, water and borax and I pour it on my zoysia lawn. Just don’t use stainless steel as an anode because it makes the solution carcinogenic.  Unlike vinegar and OA the solution doesn’t lose it’s potency with use.

The instructions are online, you just don’t want to get the polarity backwards or the object that you are cleaning will deteriorate and you will have a really clean sacrificial anode.
Some say it can crystallize and weaken steel but I have cleaned a few sets of vintage truck rims years ago and after thousands of miles, none of them have shattered or cracked.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Mar 9, 2019)

morton said:


> I imagine that the EPA would be on such a business like flies on dung and it would take years and millions of $ just to get a go ahead.
> 
> I think so time ago I had read that a company was returning water to a river that was purer than that taken in yet was still fined virtually out if business.
> 
> We do need a watchdog like the EPA but seemingly like many government agencies excessive zeal sometimes replaces common sense.



Using oxalic acid, made from rhubarb is very benign. Not a problem with EPA. All of the rust removal businesses are using hydrochloric acid, which is a problem.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Mar 16, 2019)

rusty_apache said:


> While it is from the last century You might consider electrolytic cleaning.
> It sheds the oxidation and stops at bare metal. I just pressure wash the objects afterwards but you can also buff it up with scotchbrite or wire brush. The only byproduct is a rootbeer float made up of rust, water and borax and I pour it on my zoysia lawn. Just don’t use stainless steel as an anode because it makes the solution carcinogenic.  Unlike vinegar and OA the solution doesn’t lose it’s potency with use.
> 
> The instructions are online, you just don’t want to get the polarity backwards or the object that you are cleaning will deteriorate and you will have a really clean sacrificial anode.
> Some say it can crystallize and weaken steel but I have cleaned a few sets of vintage truck rims years ago and after thousands of miles, none of them have shattered or cracked.



Sounds great! A friend uses the same method, but either way, adding ultrasonic vibrators speed up the stripping times....


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