"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"LLBrown" wrote in message
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snip---

Ah, well, now you've got me. It may be that there are copper ions in the
acid, if you've used it for that purpose before, and that they'll plate
out like electroless nickel.

That's what is happening. Zinc on the surface is displacing the copper in
solution, so it is, indeed, plating the copper. This process is
commonly used in refining where recovery of values is accomplished with base
metals. Zinc is amongst the best possible choices.

Harold







Now you'll need a chemist, which I definitely am
not. g

I have had a lot of experience with dezincified brass, however, and what
you're describing sounds like it to me.

--
Ed Huntress