Rust removal

[the_viffer]

www.bhi.co.uk/hints/rust2.htm is interesting. Now I wonder if I can get my old taxi in the teapot?

[waggy]

Take the diesel out of the tank first, if you don't the tea will taste awful! Knowing your affection for dark brown liquid I thought "Waste not want not" might apply?

Waggy.

[alanstepney]

I had read / heard about tea as rust remover.
Never tred it though.

Wonder what the chemical action /reaction is?

[the_viffer]

I know the answer to that one Alan. Tea contains tannin which is a polyphenol like those most useful pigments in other dark liquids which waggy and others force down my protesting throat which happen to be good (probably) for you in protecting the heart.

The tannin reacts with the insoluble iron II (Fe2+) and iron III (Fe3+) ions in the iron oxide and forms a soluble species hence dissolution of the rust. Don't get me started on whether something like an Fe3+ ion can actually exist in the water and as for an H+ ion...

The reaction of polyphenols with iron is also the cause of nail sickness with ferrous nails in oak rotting away but there isjust a tiny bit more chemistry in that one

There is a certain amount of scientific interest in this one as the amount of polyphenol in the diet affects the bodies uptake of iron by binding to it and preventing the body from taking it up. Conversely vitamin C makes iron more available to the body (by converting iron III to iron II).

By the way there is an interesting experiment you can perform with breakfast cereal with added iron. By use of a powerful magnet (try one from a defunct hard drive) you can extract the iron from the cereal.

[steammadman]

Thanks for the info viffer,
I'll take a copy of the article to my mate down the road , he's trying to de-rust an old lathe
he's just scrounged,any body know where he can get a giant teapot?
he'll need it.

[alanstepney]

Well, I read the explanation, but, heck, it is way beyond me!
My interest in chemistry started, and finished, with anything that could make a loud bang, and once that was discouraged at school, I lost interest.

Didnt cover anything about tea!

[the_viffer]

steammadman said:

Thanks for the info viffer,
I'll take a copy of the article to my mate down the road , he's trying to de-rust an old lathe
he's just scrounged,any body know where he can get a giant teapot?
he'll need it.

For the bigger jobs I recommend electrolytic removal: www.bhi.co.uk/hints/rust.htm

Amusingly (to me) aw hile back a device was offered for sale that was said in a new age sort of way to draw the poisons from one's body. The user immersed both feet in a bowl containing some secret crystals dissolved in water no doubt from a mountain waterfall and connected up a battery. The poisons revealed their existence in the footbath by the dirty scum which formed in the bath. Those who are cynical and have performed an electrolytic rust removal might notice some similiarities!