[TheForge] Phosphate? (Ping Bruce the chemist)

[Mike Spencer]

I had a background in chemistry, too, but I was weak on inorganic and
it was 50 years ago so...

I had some phosporic acid that I used to pickle some ironwork, maybe 3
gal. diluted from the 80-something % as delivered.

It sat in a plastic gas can for years.  When I went to get some, the
can held a large quantity of solid gunk and a murky supernatant.  Much
shaking and proddind with a stick, dumped out a slurry into a tray,
allowed the liquid to evaporate in the sun over several days.

Result was a thin layer of black stuff on top, I assume iron
phosphate.  Scraped that off and allowed the remainder to dry.  It's a
uniformly light grey, gritty granular substance.  Seems insoluable or
only slightly soluable in water.  Will melt, perhaps with
decomposition, on an iron bar when the bar is heated with a torch to
orange heat.

Must be something-or-other phosphate but I can't figure out what it
is.

What's my grey granular substance, Bruce, that came from phosporic
acid in a closed container with only a litte iron contmaination?


Feeling stupid, presbyphoria,
- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^