REMOVING RUST

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 866, 9 January 1930, Page 11

REMOVING RUST

CLEANING IRON AND STEEL ARTICLES SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE Here is a simple and very effective method of entirely cleaning rust from iron or steel articles, however badlj they may be corroded. In a glass or earthenware containei of a suitable size put enough water tc cover the article to be cleaned, and to every pint of water add about hall an ounce of commercial sulphuric acid. If the article is not very badlj rusted it will only be necessary tc wind a few turns of clean galvanised wire round it, taking care that there is close connection betwen the two The whole must be totally immersed in the acid solution. If the article is large or very badlj corroded, the wire must be wound two or three turns only, and tightly twisted. The free end must then be attached to a piece of zinc and the whole immersed. Any piece of zinc will do, but an old battery zinc with i screw terminal or an old zinc penci from a Leclanche cell is preferable The article must be left in the solu tion for two or three days, or until the whole of the rust has been removed. While the solution is fresh the rus may be seen to dissolve very quickly into silvery, gaseous bubbles, and the article will usually come out a cleai silvery-grey colour. Immediately rinse it well in clean water and dry by hea or oil well. In addition to the simplicity anc cheapness of this process, it has the advantage that the metal is not ii any way affected as long as the zin< is in good contact with it. The meta and zinc form a battery, which re forms the rust into iron.