Learned that muriatic acid will rust almost anything

[domer911]

I made the mistake of storing a gallon of acid under the sink in my garage. This was a pretty expensive ceramic coated cast iron sink. By the time I discovered the mess, there was an unbelievable, INCREDIBLY unbelievable amount of rust buidup on any metal exposed under the sink, ESPECIALLY the sink itself.

Any pointers for how I deal with the sink? Short of removing the culprit what do I need to do to get the most life out of my sink?

 

[6PTsocket]

Funny, there is another thread advocating muriatic acis as a rust remover. I can just recommend the usual rust removers. Flip the sink over and use something phosphoric acid based like Naval jelly or just a liquid version for what you can submerge or cover with wet towels. Remove what you can with abrasives like wire brushes and sand paper, sanding sponges, flap wheels 3M rust remover wheel, etc. An altenative is Evaporust that removes rust by another method. Another alternative is to take it where it can be sand blasted. Paint the bottom to protect it in the future. There are many options from rust converting paints to self etching primers and paint.

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[bczygan]

I did the same and it ate away the whole bottom of a set of steel shelves.

 

[RivennHewn]

you were storing a gallon of acid in an open container?

 

[TheOtherChris]

you were storing a gallon of acid in an open container?

Oh it will do it when stored in jug with the cap on too.

 

[zoomzoomjeff]

Yes, as a buddy in college found out when one of his friends borrowed his truck and set gallon of muriatic acid in his tool box. A few weeks later, the owner goes to his truck to check on his guns...........rusted. Owner was understandably PISSED that the guns were halfway destroyed. Along with the toolbox....and everything else in it. It tipped over while driving.

 

[RivennHewn]

Oh it will do it when stored in jug with the cap on too.

You threw away that little seal inside the plastic cap, didn't you?

 

[BFBOB]

Yes muriatic (hydrochloric) acid does indeed remove rust from rusty tools, and quite quickly if you use the strong 18% grade. It will also, given the chance, remove the chrome plating! The acid vapors are another story. They combine with moisture in the air to make a very corrosive miasma - as you have discovered. Just one of life's little ironies.
If you look at various rust removers, you'll find that they contain acids. Phosphoric is a common one.

I store my jug of hydrochloric acid out in the open where any fumes that escape can't build up enough concentration to do any damage. (oh, yeah, and I make sure the cap is tight and it's not somewhere it could easily fall or be knocked over)

 

[The_Geologist]

We use Parafilm to seal all the acid bottles in the lab when we aren't using them. It's kind of like saran wrap, but made of paraffin wax and much thicker. Very difficult for acid fumes to escape a closed bottle once the top is sealed with the wax.

https://www.amazon.com/Parafilm-Roll-250-Length-Width/dp/B005KDF3X6

A good idea only if you aren't using the bottle often, as it is a bit hard to get off until you peel away a layer or 2.

 

[padroo]

I would actually remove the rust with muratic acid then rinse withe water and baking soda to neutralize the net al the dry and oil it.

I have read where people use muratic acid on old rusty threads, applied with an eye dropper instead of using some kind of liquid wrench. You have to give it time to work.

Use caution using muratic acid, it will clean your nose hairs out and should be used in well ventilated areas, with eye and skin protection.

 

[rockettgpw]

Others that know better than me might chime in on this.. There is a good chance that the acid fumes/vapour has soaked right into the casting and will never really stop rusting. I once found a rusty forged steel spanner in an underground mine, very acidic atmosphere, and even after an electrolysis bath in soda solution and at first looking rust free it would still keep rusting.

 

[Shiftless]

Yes muriatic (sulphuric) acid does indeed remove rust from rusty tools, and quite quickly if you use the strong 18% grade. It will also, given the chance, remove the chrome plating! The acid vapors are another story. They combine with moisture in the air to make a very corrosive miasma - as you have discovered. Just one of life's little ironies.
If you look at various rust removers, you'll find that they contain acids. Phosphoric is a common one.

I store my jug of sulphuric acid out in the open where any fumes that escape can't build up enough concentration to do any damage. (oh, yeah, and I make sure the cap is tight and it's not somewhere it could easily fall or be knocked over)

FYI
Muriatic acid is Hydrochloric acid (HCl)and NOT sulfuric (H2SO4)

 

[md21722]

FYI
Muriatic acid is Hydrochloric acid (HCl)and NOT sulfuric (H2SO4)

What I was thinking as I read this thread... It's just diluted Hydrochloric acid. Very powerful stuff.

 

[BFBOB]

FYI
Muriatic acid is Hydrochloric acid (HCl)and NOT sulfuric (H2SO4)

Yes, you're right. Posting too late at night. that's my excuse. I edited my post with the correction.

 

[6PTsocket]

I would actually remove the rust with muratic acid then rinse withe water and baking soda to neutralize the net al the dry and oil it.

I have read where people use muratic acid on old rusty threads, applied with an eye dropper instead of using some kind of liquid wrench. You have to give it time to work.

Use caution using muratic acid, it will clean your nose hairs out and should be used in well ventilated areas, with eye and skin protection.

That us why I like Evaporust. It does not replace the oxide with a phosphate or some similar acidic reaction but combine with the rust and percipitates it out, leaving nothing behind but bare metal. It is relatively benign stuff. The only problem is the price. The home brew version is diluted molasses. Much slower but cheaper. That might be a solution for the sink if he has a big enough container and a lot of time. Apparantly you can get molasses in the feed store. I am a city kid and don't know about that stuff.

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[domer911]

Thanks for the replies. Mine was an unopened gallon of acid.

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[Whitworth]

Others that know better than me might chime in on this.. There is a good chance that the acid fumes/vapour has soaked right into the casting and will never really stop rusting.

This (pointing up)

Anything porous or organic, plastic, wood, enamel, etc., etc. can become contaminated. If you use a plastic container to hold acid, even for a short time, throw it out afterwards. Even if you clean, rinse and dry it, it will remain contaminated. Like if you put said plastic Tupperware down on a cast iron table saw it will leave a near permanent rust stain. (Don't have to ask me how I know that.)

 

[penright]

Heads up, I think swimming pool chemicals could do the same thing. Never had one myself, but about 25 years ago, I cleaned out a shed for an old lady. Everything in it had a scale almost like a rust, on it. Just ate through all the chrome on the tools.

 

[Radix2]

Heads up, I think swimming pool chemicals could do the same thing. Never had one myself, but about 25 years ago, I cleaned out a shed for an old lady. Everything in it had a scale almost like a rust, on it. Just ate through all the chrome on the tools.

Usually in a batch of pool chemicals is a jug of acid for lowering PH, so same stuff and of course chlorine too.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Check out "Ospho" at www.ospho.com.

This stuff will stop the continuation of rust. Good stuff. I used to use in on metal cooling towers that had "terminal cancer".

 

[Falcon67]

Chlorine tabs - in plastic - in a cabinet with a stainless door will rust the door. I keep the pool acid up and out of the way, in the clear. No problems and a jug lasts up about a year.

 

[Firebird 1]

I had a 2 large bathrooms tiled floor to ceiling walls, and floors in a commercial building. Tile setters came in one night and grouted everything. They left the grout smeared everywhere. They came back in a couple of days and used muriatic acid to clean all the grout. Every bit of stainless hardware, hinges, door handles, toilet accessories, etc. started to rust.

 

[ambenz]

Yup, had a sealed metal container on my metal shelves in the basement.
By the time I noticed the damage, the shelves were rusted.
I sanded and cleaned as much rust as I could and used some rust restorer on the shelves damaged.
I am now painting them to finish the fix....I'll never have that stuff on my property again....took it to my public works dept in our township for proper disposal.