[TheForge] Electrolytic rust reclaiming

[lama]

DaveB, I'm glad that y'all have enlightened us with the chemistry lessons.
But all I wanted to do was to remove the rust. I wasn't looking to
convert oxides to iron or anything so elaborate as all that. Just want to
stop
what the chlorine started and seal the iron from the atmosphere.
dave m

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Brown" <quahog@tds.net>
To: <theforge@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Electrolytic rust reclaiming


> At 12:53 10/29/02 -0500, you wrote:
> >I'm no expert on this.  I'm only applying my knowledge of chemistry.
> >
> >Iron III oxide is red.  Iron II oxide is black.  Rust is iron III oxide,
> >Fe2O3.  Scale is iron II oxide, FeO.  I SUSPECT the black is FeO.
>
> This is consistent with what my brother-in-law the family electro-chemist
> says.  The red oxide (rust) gets converted to free oxygen and black oxide
> (same as fire scale).  The further reduction of this black oxide to iron
> requires a lot more energy than you use in the electrolytic rust reduction
> process ... he says you pretty much have to go through the smelting
process
> to get rid of the remaining oxygen atom and leave the iron behind.
>
> The good part about the black oxide residue is that it's light and not
> tightly bound to the surface and brushes/wipes/washes off quite easily.
>
>
> Dave Brown