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How to remove sodium carbonate from aluminum





We were tumble de-burring some tiny aluminum parts. The process went awry because too much soda ash was used, and for too long. Now the parts have a stubborn crust on them. Is there anything that might take it off? I tried muriatic, non-etch cleaner, nitric acid, ammonia, and C-L-R ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] .

Regards,

Edward Doherty
instruments - Coral Springs, Florida
2006


Muriatic (hydrochloric acid) and C-L-R are both no-nos for aluminum.
Best: have an anodizing firm 'slow strip' the parts in hot chromic-phosphoric acid solution.
Alternative: concentrated nitric acid, in an ultrasonic cleaner if available.

Ken Vlach [deceased]
- Goleta, California
contributor of the year Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.
Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
2006




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