Rust Removal on battery tray

[Scoot43]

YOu guys are funny! The Vinegar is strictly a chemical process, The Electrolysis is an Electro-chemical process.
They are two completely different things.
They both work well
Lots of different acids will remove rust:
Phosphoric acid - like in Coca-Cola
Acetic Acid in Vinegar is good for certain things, but it is not going to boost the effectiveness of the Electroytic action.

Regarding the post about treating ductwork with acid: Duct work has the surface process of Galvanization on it.
Apparently, paint does not like to stick to Galvanized metal. When you put a metal such as Zinc in contact with an acid, the zinc tends to be solublized or sort of dissolved into the acid. So then you are actually removing the protective coating in preparation for paint. You can also expose the metal to the elements for a long period of time - a year. They do this in the North when they install metal ice edge on houses. They let it weather for a year and then paint it.

I worked in chemical management. I do not have a chemistry degree, but I do read books and like to find out how things work.
Most people are not familiar with chemicals and so a lot of chemically related stuff is either "Black Magic" or kinda scary.
It is really a lot simpler than that.

[hickchemistry07]

Just came across this thread and the vinegar idea is freakin awesome! Haven't tried it but definately wil. This forum kicks gas!

[fordman]

YOu guys are funny! The Vinegar is strictly a chemical process, The Electrolysis is an Electro-chemical process.
They are two completely different things.
They both work well
Lots of different acids will remove rust:
Phosphoric acid - like in Coca-Cola
Acetic Acid in Vinegar is good for certain things, but it is not going to boost the effectiveness of the Electroytic action.

Regarding the post about treating ductwork with acid: Duct work has the surface process of Galvanization on it.
Apparently, paint does not like to stick to Galvanized metal. When you put a metal such as Zinc in contact with an acid, the zinc tends to be solublized or sort of dissolved into the acid. So then you are actually removing the protective coating in preparation for paint. You can also expose the metal to the elements for a long period of time - a year. They do this in the North when they install metal ice edge on houses. They let it weather for a year and then paint it.

I worked in chemical management. I do not have a chemistry degree, but I do read books and like to find out how things work.
Most people are not familiar with chemicals and so a lot of chemically related stuff is either "Black Magic" or kinda scary.
It is really a lot simpler than that.

your right about zinc being able to be dissolved in certain chemicals. we did it in jr high school. i dont remember which acidic solution we were using. but it completely dissolved the piece of zinc in less than an hour.

[hedz]

i've used vinegar on many rusty parts. works great. apple cider vinegar worked better for me that white vinegar, some of them come in different acidic concentrations, just read the labels. just let said parts sit in the solution for however long, i've left some parts submerged for a few weeks that were very rusty