Removing zinc/cadmium plating?
 

Is there an easy way to remove zinc and/or cadmium plating without affecting
the steel underneath?


Thanks,


--
Peter Fairbrother

Is there an easy way to remove zinc and/or cadmium plating without
affecting
the steel underneath?

Zinc comes right off with muratic (HCL) acid. The steel will rust
immediately if you don't take steps to prevent that. Makes nasty fumes, do
it outside and stand upwind.

Karl

Peter Fairbrother wrote:

Is there an easy way to remove zinc and/or cadmium plating without affecting
the steel underneath?

Very easy. Go to the supermarket where they sell cleaners and find a can of
Red Devil lye. That's about a pound give or take. Add it to about four gallons
of water and drop your parts in overnight. The zinc will be entirely gone and
if there was any rust on the steel that will be gone too. You can certainly
use acid but I don't like to use acid for this because the acid eats the steel
too and you have to really worry about neutralizing it. The lye doesn't eat the
steel so if you leave it in too long it doesn't hurt anything, plus the rust
gets chemically reduced back to iron, not eaten away.

It's nice if you neutralize the chemical before disposing of it. Don't dump
it into a storm sewer, make sure it finds its way to a sewer treatment plant.

I have done this myself, recently, worked perfectly. Be aware that whether you
use a base (lye) or an acid (e.g. muriatic) one splash can blind you, so wear
goggles, use good chemical proof gloves, and wear old clothes, and don't do
this anywhere near where animals or small children go.

GWE

Grant Erwin wrote:

Peter Fairbrother wrote:

Is there an easy way to remove zinc and/or cadmium plating without affecting
the steel underneath?

Very easy. Go to the supermarket where they sell cleaners and find a can of
Red Devil lye.

Just checking, that is sodium hydroxide? I'm in the UK and I don't think we
have that brand here (though we do have a "Red Devil" brand of small power
tools, vaccuum cleaners and the like).

I had wondered whether NaOH would work on zinc, and I agree that it would be
better for not eating the steel. I'll give it a try. Thanks.





--
Peter Fairbrother

On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 22:15:05 +0000, Peter Fairbrother wrote:
Grant Erwin wrote:

Peter Fairbrother wrote:

Is there an easy way to remove zinc and/or cadmium plating without affecting
the steel underneath?

Very easy. Go to the supermarket where they sell cleaners and find a can of
Red Devil lye.

Just checking, that is sodium hydroxide?

In the USA, yes, it is.

I'm in the UK and I don't think we
have that brand here (though we do have a "Red Devil" brand of small power
tools, vaccuum cleaners and the like).

Here, those are Dirt Devil, but yes they're red.

Once you fill that lye solution with zinc and cadmium salts it ain't
supposed to go down the drain, at least not anywhere in the states.

wrote:
Once you fill that lye solution with zinc and cadmium salts it ain't
supposed to go down the drain, at least not anywhere in the states.


I guess they'd better stop selling chemical drain cleaners where there's
bound to be galvanized drain pipes!

Ken Grunke

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Grant Erwin wrote:

wrote:

Once you fill that lye solution with zinc and cadmium salts it ain't
supposed to go down the drain, at least not anywhere in the states.


Fair 'nuff, but every bit of galvanized hardware in the US is leaching
off
zinc. Slowly, but it adds up. Compared to this, a few grams from home
ain't
peanuts. You're correct, of course. So suppose you dissolve some zinc
into
NaOH and then neutralize it perfectly with muriatic (HCl) getting water,
zinc and salt. What do you suggest doing with this if you want to be
environmentally correct?

GWE


Zinc isn't the problem.

Steve

Zinc isn't the problem.

Steve

Then what is? - GWE

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Zinc isn't the problem.

Then what is? - GWE

Cadmium is nice and poisonous.

Ya know, I wonder if cadmiate exists -- it's pretty similar to zinc after
all. If not then you'll have to use acid to strip any cadmium.

Tim

--
"I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!"
- Homer Simpson
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Yes, cadmium is poisonous. I guess I didn't think about the fact that the OP
asked about zinc *or cadmium*. I just responded to the zinc part. - GWE

Tim Williams wrote:

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

Zinc isn't the problem.

Then what is? - GWE


Cadmium is nice and poisonous.

Ya know, I wonder if cadmiate exists -- it's pretty similar to zinc after
all. If not then you'll have to use acid to strip any cadmium.

Tim

--
"I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!"
- Homer Simpson
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Tim Williams wrote:

Cadmium is nice and poisonous.

Ya know, I wonder if cadmiate exists --

It does.

it's pretty similar to zinc after
all. If not then you'll have to use acid to strip any cadmium.

But what to do with the residue?

going OT soon

The cadmium used came from somewhere, presumably a mineral deposit. We
played with it, and discovered it isn't a nice thing to play with. I guess
we should put it back where it came from?

Anyone got any ideas how to do that?




Now do the same with the extra carbon, as in oil or coal ...

/back to normal






-- Peter Fairbrother



"And you're not a gun freak?"

"Oh no. I'm a collector. Huge difference."

"The difference being?"

"I've got more guns." :)

Peter Fairbrother wrote:

Tim Williams wrote:

Cadmium is nice and poisonous.

Ya know, I wonder if cadmiate exists --

It does.

It makes NiCd batterties work. too
****weedd loe ya all grvmawlduj;
jc2js, oooooh yeea;aodfhhhhhhhh mbsxdjlzs

-- Peter Fairbrother

When I see you floating down the gutter
I'll buy you a bottle of wine.

The beautiful rainbow colored bolts and nuts used (on motorcycles, etc) is Cadmium.
Don't work on the cycle and then stick the finger in your mouth...

If counting those in a box - wear gloves and hasmat them afterwards.

Martin

Peter Fairbrother wrote:

Peter Fairbrother wrote:


Tim Williams wrote:


Cadmium is nice and poisonous.

Ya know, I wonder if cadmiate exists --

It does.


It makes NiCd batterties work. too
****weedd loe ya all grvmawlduj;
jc2js, oooooh yeea;aodfhhhhhhhh mbsxdjlzs

-- Peter Fairbrother

When I see you floating down the gutter
I'll buy you a bottle of wine.



--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Only place I've run across much cadmium is working on WWII era electronics.
Many metals were in very short supply in those days including zinc, so
cadmium was pressed into service "in a pinch". Guess I'm lucky. - GWE

"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
m...
The beautiful rainbow colored bolts and nuts used (on motorcycles, etc) is
Cadmium.
Don't work on the cycle and then stick the finger in your mouth...

If counting those in a box - wear gloves and hasmat them afterwards.

Ain't it oxidized to a dusty yellow after many years? I've seen that on old
(50s) stereos and speakers before...

Tim

--
"I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!"
- Homer Simpson
Website @ http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Tim Williams wrote:

Cadmium.


Ain't it oxidized to a dusty yellow after many years? I've seen that on old
(50s) stereos and speakers before...

Yup. That's the stuff. - GWE