On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:41:04 +0000, Tegger wrote:

There's a better alternative these days: EvapoRust.

Googling, I find a recommendation at, of all places, "The Rust Store":
http://www.theruststore.com/Hand-Too...val-W13C2.aspx

The MSDS for Evapo-Rust says absolutely nothing about what's in it:
http://www.evaporust.com/docs/MSDS%20Evaporust.pdf

As for how it works:
http://www.evapo-rust.com/howitworks/
Apparently the synthetic chelating agent of Evapo-Rust removes the
iron in iron oxide by creating a ferric sulfate complex, and sometimes
there is a black residue from the carbon in the steel.
http://www.evapo-rust.com/faq/

Googling some more, I find Evapo-Rust is "patent pending" by
Harris International, so if we can find the patent, we can figure
out what that synthetic chelating agent is.

The trademark was apparently registered by Daubert Cromwell, LLC in July 2009.
http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp

Googling also found "bio-rust" which may be the same thing.
http://www.walter.com/PortalBuilder/...BIO-RUST_E.pdf

BTW, some say molasses works the same way:
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/b...e/viewall.html

Which might be why the patent was apparently NOT GRANTED even though
it was filed in 2000.