Summary for carbon layer removal Discussion
carbon layer removal on mild steel is discussed only briefly in this thread, and the answers emphasize that the right method depends on what the deposits actually are and what finish will follow. Geoff Smith notes that if the black buildup is on cast aluminum cooker parts, bicarbonate of soda is unlikely to help; he suggests a commercial carbon remover such as Carbon-Off, but warns it contains methylene chloride and should be used with gloves, goggles, and excellent ventilation, preferably outdoors and upwind. He also mentions manual polishing options like Silvo or Brillo, or using a Dremel buff or Mothers Powerball with aluminum polish. For carbon steel finishing, ali gomaa farid says the cleaning sequence should match the next process: for electroplating, use degreasing, rinsing, HCl, and more degreasing; for painting, use degreasing, sulfuric acid, rinsing, passivation, and drying. Popatbhai B. Patel adds that many options exist and a photo would help choose the right one.
⇦ Tip: Readers like to learn from others’ situations;
some readers skip abstract questions.
[editor appended this entry to this thread which already addresses it in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread]
Q. How to clean carbon ? deposits or are they … I really hope someone can help searching on Internet bicarbonate of soda but don’t work.
Bobhope gill
– Peretborough cambs [Peterborough UK]
February 2, 2024
A. Not knowing what these deposits are on, or how they got there, I can’t hazard a guess as to whether they are carbon or not.
But there is a commercially available product called “Carbon-Off”
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
. Note that it contains 40-70% methylene chloride plus some other nasty materials, so gloves
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eBay or
Amazon [affil link] , goggles
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eBay or
Amazon [affil link] and excellent ventilation are required. Personally, I can’t recommend spraying or aerosolizing methylene chloride, so I’d suggest the liquid version and working outside, from upwind.
I don’t think bicarbonate of soda will do anything as a chemical solution. But people might have been talking about using a soda blaster [soda blaster on
or
Amazon [affil link]
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Hi you have to excuse me, not very tech savvy. I’ve read some of your stuff so I know you know what you are talking about. I’m trying to clean these in picture.
They’re off top of cooker made of cast aluminium, and need cleaning they are black with burnt on oil splashes or carbon? Hope you can help.
Bobhope gill [returning]
– Peretborough cambs [Peterborough UK]
February 3, 2024
A. Hi again. If you don’t like the Carbon-Off idea, or it isn’t available to you, Thread 41066 has several entries about aluminum cooktop burners. Among the suggestions were Silvo metal polish
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eBay or
Amazon [affil link] and Brillo
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But doing this manually with metal polish or a Brillo pad sounds like it might take forever. I’d suggest trying a polishing buff on a Dremel
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] or a Mothers powerball mini
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eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
on a low-power battery-operated drill, using a compound like Mothers Aluminum & Magnesium Polish
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
⇩ Similar, related, Q&As — oldest first ⇩
Q. Sir please help me to remove a hard black carbon layer from ms plate by using any alkaline based treatment.
Hemant Sharma
owner of company – Faridabad, Haryana, India
December 14, 2010
A. Dear Mr. Sharma,
You can try the following steps:
1. Hot Degreasing
2. Anodic Cleaner (I)-High Alkaline
3. Acid Pickling – HCl 40% v/v + inhibitor or and accelerator
4. Anodic Cleaner (II) – High Alkaline
5. Acid Dip
6. Next treatment.
We tested and got good result.
Try and you can see the result.
Good luck.
Best regards,
Tony Chandra
– Jakarta, Indonesia
January 21, 2011
A. A high pressure water jet can be very effective. Don’t try it on small parts – it will throw them all over the shop.
Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
January 22, 2011
A. Dear sir
first what kind of metal finishing you will make in the surface of this carbon steel ?
if you will make any kind of electroplating you must work in the following sequence
1- hot soak chemical degreaser
2- cold rinsing
3- hot cathodic degreaser
4- rinsing
HCl 40% by volume at room temperature
5- rinsing
6- hot anodic degreaser
7- cold rinsing
7- complete the sequence of electroplating
if you will painting it you must make the following sequence
1- hot soak or spray pre-chemical degreaser
2- hot soak or spray chemical degreaser
3- hot (50- 65 °C ) sulfuric acid 8 – 10 %
4- cold rinsing
5- cold rinsing
6- alkaline passivation
7 hot dryer
best regards
ali gomaa farid
metal finishing – Egypt
February 17, 2011
A. Lots of ways and options. Put a picture of the part on to enable select the right one for you.
Khozem Vahaanwala
Saify Ind
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
March 19, 2011
A. In addition to one of the pre-treatment sequences already mentioned, the use of an ultrasonic transducer in the first rinse after the sequence should help to remove any residue that is still on the steel.
Lyle Kirman
consultant – Cleveland Heights, Ohio
March 23, 2011
A. The advice given is good. Just one final comment. Are you sure it is carbon? It could very well be iron oxide.
Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
March 29, 2011
A. Remove carbon from steel, steps:
1.soak
2. Ultrasonic.
3. Rinse
4. 40-50% Hydrochloric acid
5. rinse
6. 40% hydrochloric acid
7.rinse
Popatbhai B. Patel
electroplating consultant – Roseville, Michigan
May 14, 2024