Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Copper + hydrogen chloride

Q. I made copper (I) oxide thru electrical current with a graphite cathode? And I clean it of with water. As soon as I add 31.45% HCl to the dried copper oxide nothing happens! And I know it wasn't rust because I passed a neodymium magnet and it attracted nothing. Sorry for any misspelling, I have to hurry to lunch.

Wes Romero
hobbyist - Katy, Texas
2007

A. It's not obvious to me what you are trying to do and why, Wes, but what is the anolomy that you perceive and want a comment on? You expected copper oxide to dissolve in HCl? I think I would expect that too. But I would not expect elemental copper to dissolve in HCl if that is what you actually generated with your experiment.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007

A. Wes

Why do you think that you had deposited copper oxide?
Where do you think something magnetic could have come from?

My guess is that you have deposited metallic copper and you got it as a powder because you used too much current.

But that is only an educated guess because the quality of the answer depends on the quality of the question and you don't give us much to go on.

Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
2007