Summary for fastest way to rust steel Discussion
Fastest way to rust steel is the focus of this thread, and the answers suggest that plain salt water is not the most aggressive option. Ron Smith asks whether spraying salt water every few days is best for rusting a steel panel. One reply from an unnamed contributor says vinegar, as a mild acid, will help the salt water along. Another answer recommends sal ammoniac, or ammonium chloride, describing it as a soldering iron cleaner sold in hardware stores and saying it is commonly used in patination solutions. That contributor claims it will actively rust iron and steel, is much more effective than common salts, and is safer and cheaper than stronger acids or copper nitrate. The discussion is practical but informal, and the advice points toward using a mildly acidic or ammonium chloride solution rather than salt water alone.
Q. I am doing an experiment, I am trying to find the fastest way to rust or rot a steel panel. Is spraying salt water on it every few days the best way or is there some other mixture that will work better? Any help will be great..
Ron
Ron Smith
Hobby Scientist – Boston, Massachusetts
June 27, 2008
A. Hi, Ron. vinegar
⇦ in bulk on
or
Amazon [affil link] , being a mild acid, will help that salt water along. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
June 30, 2008
July 1, 2008
A. Common name Sal ammoniac, chemical name “ammonium chloride” .
Often referred to as “soldering iron cleaner” sold in hardware stores in a solid block for cleaning soldering iron tips.
It was very common pre-refrigeration as a freezing solution . and when dissolved in water or slightly acidified water is very endothermic and will become very cold !
It is a strong oxidizing agent and a lot safer than others , its is very common in patination solutions and will bring brass, copper and bronze to green blue.
A paint brush left in even a mild solution for two hours will have the iron band that holds the bristles completely corroded away. it will cause iron and steel to actively rust . and is many many times more effective than common salts . and safer and cheaper than copper nitrate
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
or strong acids .
Dave Mune
mfgr of decorative concrete – Cebu, Philippines
Speeding up rusting/oxidation of metals with ferric chloride
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] & peroxide
July 16, 2019
Q. Hi I am James I am currently a 1st year university student studying Botany (BSc).
So I have ferric chloride
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] etching solution; here is the datasheet for the product I have: https://download.altronics.com.au/files/datasheets_H0800D.pdf
I have a 3 types of metal; stainless steel metal about a half inch thick, aluminum metal sheet that is also about half inch thick and zinc metal that is also half an inch thick.
I Will be applying the solution like a paint with a paint roller or paint brush to rust the surface of the three metals.
My question being; what chemical/s added to the ferric chloride
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] would speed up the rusting/oxidation process of the metals? Preferably so that it rusts fast; within seconds/minutes
I do not want to heat my solutions or use an electric current. I want it to be a purely chemical based solution at room temperature.
Could a solution of ferric chloride
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] + hydrogen peroxide work as it is an oxidizer?
Any Input on how to create the solution would be great, thanks.
James Woods
student – Perth, WA & Australia