Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

-----

Looking for help and advise for removing ink or dye from tinplate

I am hoping you can help... I work for a small importing company. Our customer ordered tins to package their wrapped candy in for this upcoming holiday. Our over seas source shipped the tins and when they arrived at my customers warehouse we were advised the blue color from the nylon cord that was attached to the tin for hanging purposes has leached onto the tins. The tins are printed with art for holiday deco and now 15% or so of the tins have this blue cord stain that somehow leached onto them.

I need to go to my customers warehouse and remove this color from their tins or I will have to replace them all at a very high cost. I have tried rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, vinegar -- all failed. Can you offer suggestions? I can even ship you a tin for closer examination. I sincerely appreciate your willingness to help.

Justine Cox
product manager - Hawthorne, New Jersey, USA
August 29, 2011

---

Try acetone [on eBay or Amazon], but be careful-it can dissolve all printed decoration and even ground color.Acetone with up to 1/3 of ammonia [on eBay or Amazon] can be helpful too (again be careful). Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia

Sunflower (or peanut or corn or soy) oil with some acetone added (up to 30%, start with few drops and then test it on your object). Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia