[TheForge] Garlic & Olive oil, again

[Bruce Freeman]

Well, I certainly cannot think of any off hand.

Both garlic and olive oil are complex mixtures, so the chemistry could
be quite simple or extremely complex.  The presence of the iron ions
further complicates the mess, as these can catalyze reactions.  Olive
oil is a (poor) drying oil.  Garlic has lots of compounds in it that
could conceivable interact in some way with the oil to affect the
chemistry.  I'm not exactly sure what this coating is supposed to do
that is different from, say, a hot oil treatment.

I would suggest using a minimally scientific approach in your tests,
such as the following:

* Use a single piece of rusty metal, homogenous throughout.
* Cut several pieces of this metal for testing, each about the same
size as the next.
* Reserve one or more as a control -- do nothing to these, and store
them out of harm's way.
* Treat one or more with the garlic - olive oil prep'n.
* Treat one or more with a garlic - vegetable oil prep'n made as above.
* Treat one or more with olive oil alone
* Treat one or more with vegetable oil alone.
* Treat one or more with garlic alone (don't as me how!)

You get the idea.  You try to isolate different agents to determine
which have what effect.  You keep an untreated control.  You test the
two ingredients separately (if practicable).  You use vegetable oil as
a control on olive oil to see whether there's something special about
the latter (which is much more expensive).  Obviously, there are
infinite number of other possibilities you could check.

How you set up the experiment depends upon how long each test takes,
how much it costs, and exactly what you're trying to find out.  When
you think you're getting a desirable result, repeat that test to help
ensure it's not a fluke.

On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 6:35 PM, peter fels <artgawk at thegrid.net> wrote:
> Bruce;
> Can you think of a chemical reason  why the proposed garlic and olive oil finish should stabilize rusty steel effectively?
> I just got the ingredients to repeat the experiment..or make a lot of salad dressing...we shall see.
>



-- 
Bruce
NJ