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What cleans a metal(copper, iron, gold, bronze, etc.) chemically? What process?

I am a student in biology and chemistry in a University. And I was wondering what cleans and polishes metals, chemically? It has to do with oxidation and I just want a few answers to answer what SPECIFICLY cleans a metal.(copper, iron, bronze, gold, etc.)

Anything about this topic will do. Thank you for any help you give me, because I really need to know for my college course.

Jack Manny
- Albany, New York, USA

Cleaning and oxidation removal aren't really the same thing, but it would seem that you could chemically remove oxidation in one of two ways: 1). You could chemically dissolve the oxidation into a solution and wash it away, leaving a metallic surface; 2). You could chemically (or electrochemically) reduce the metallic oxides back to metal.

Approach number 1 would generally be simpler; approach number 2 would offer some special capabilities like restoring an ancient coin by making the corrosion clock run backwards.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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