Citric Acid Rust Removal

Many different acids can be used to remove rust from iron and steel. Citric acid has an advantage over some other acids, because it is less caustic, not as hazardous environmentally, while remaining effective, cheap (although not as cheap as old battery acid). The chemistry is fairly simple, the rust (iron oxide) is solubilised by the acid (ammonium ion is also acidic) and the citrate ion coordinates to the iron ion forming soluble iron citrate. How do you do it? . Ma!e a solution containing at least "# citric acid. $dd a bit of alcohol (methylated spirits) to brea! down the surface tension and a s%uirt or two of detergent to help with any degreasing. &wirl around to mix in the acid powder. 'sing heated (the hotter the better) water speeds the process. Remember to put the powder into the water, not the other way around. (ye protection is important) you may want to wear gloves and to protect your arms etc. *. The article to be cleaned must be largely free from grease or it will not wor! (or will wor! very slowly). 'se thinners or engine degreaser or paint stripper before placing item into the acid bath) depending on whether the item is painted etc. Citric acid will not strip paint, so for example if a file has paint on it, you need to remove the paint first. +ou do not need to clean the tool however) the acid solution will not only de,rust, but also clean, the tool) a good way to clean up grotty files. -aturally the acid solution will wor! %uic!er on clean tools) for really grimy tools consider the first application as a clean and wash, and then the second dip as the de,rusting (for really croo! items). .. /hen you place the item into the solution you will notice bubbles, this means the acid is wor!ing. -o bubbles, little action. &oa! item for as long as there is still rust on it , and bubbles are rising) chec! process by rubbing tool with a scouring pad periodically. 0. +ou can help the process along by swirling the solution, and by brushing the item(s) to assist with penetration. Mixing the solution diffuses away reacted particles and exposes the rust surface to additional acid ions, enhancing the reaction. 1. 2e,rusting can ta!e from a few minutes to a few hours depending on item condition and the concentration3temperature of the solution. $s the reaction time increases, concentration decreases as ions are used up and by,products (i.e. gun!) formed. 4emember the acid !eeps on wor!ing after the rust is dissolved, so do not leave items in an acid solution for long periods. 5. /hen finished give the item a scrub with a scouring pad under running water. +ou may wish to neutralise with a 6a!ing &oda solution, but this is rarely necessary. 4emember to wash the item in water to remove the acid solution before using a 6a!ing &oda solution. 7. 4epeat as re%uired. +ou will !now when the solution is no longer wor!ing by the absence of bubbles. 4emember to remove the gun! before putting item into the new solution. &ome badly rusted or intricate items may need soa!ing overnight. 8. 9il the item straight away after rinsing and drying, this is important. :. 2o not load up too many tools in the container and preferably they should not be piled in on top of each other) this slows down the process, and where tools touch the acid solution may not wor! effectively. See Timing notes below for timing issues.

". Citric $cid not only removes rust, but (li!e all acids) etches iron and steel. Therefore if you leave the item in too long, the metal will be covered in microscopic etched pits, this is the dull and grey appearance. ;eavily rusted items will usually be pitted anyway of course. The pitting will be more obvious after de,rusting because the acid will have dissolved the rust and oxidation in the pits, some of which will be very fine and not visible except under a microscope. To the na!ed eye the tiny pits appear as a dull and not completely smooth appearance. Timing and Concentration Notes: a) $ll iron and steel tools have an oxidised surface or s!in, this is often called patina. <unsmiths go to great lengths to achieve chemically the =right> patina. This s!in is tough, and may be removed if an item is left in an acid solution too long ? under this patina the oxidation will not be completely even. ;ence when you remove the patina with an acid etch, the surface is dull and not completely smooth. b) @tems will not be uniformly rusted, so the rust will be removed at a differential rate (you could leave items out in the rain for a few wee!s to achieve a sort of uniform rusting @ guess). $lso different types of metal will be affected differently ? if you place a laminated plane iron in the solution, when you clean it you will clearly see the lines between the metals. 2isassemble planes before dipping. c) Acid rust removal is not a chuck in and forget2 process. Thin! about the outcome you want, as well as the state of the item. The clue is to adAust the concentration to the tas! ? light concentration for lightly rusted items, heavy concentration for encrusted items) $-2 !eep an eye on what is happening) $-2 ta!e item(s) out regularly to clean off the gun!. Chec! fre%uently to see when """" wool will reveal the old steel, show a shiny surface, and leave some dar!ened patina. Batina will often show up mottled and loo!ing ancient but perfectly preserved. This enables you to stop at the point the rust is just removed. $ small amount of spot rust not removed on the first go can usually be scraped or sanded down before the last dipping. +our aim is uniform de,rusting for the minimum necessary time. d) The stronger and hotter the solution the %uic!er it operates, so you need to pay attention ? often the de,rusting will only ta!e minutes. &o if you are leaving the item in for an extended periods, use a wea!er solution. NoteC $dvantagesC environmentally friendly, non,hazardous, non,toxic, does not affect paint or Aapanning or wood, plating etc. 2isadvantagesC may be slower than electrolysis (but much safer). &olution grows some slime when stored, this can be strained off. The method can be used for things such as ebony3rosewood and brass s%uares etc without affecting the brass or wood. /hilst the solution can be reused, if it has any oomph left) it is so cheap that it is not really worthwhile. @f you do store it, after awhile (maybe a wee!, depending on temperature) the solution gets mouldy. +ou will see little white fluffy spots on the surface. The mould will
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Acid rust removal is not suitable for all situations. For instance saws are generally not suited to acid rust removal. Scraping and sanding work better; if a saw is heavily rusted it may be worthwhile to reduce the rust in an acid solution (if you have the right sized tank, or use soaked towels ! and then finish with scraping " lubricated (#$%& sanding.

eventually eat up the citric acid, but it will stay active for de,rusting (slowly) for %uite some time. -ote , reuse is for s!inflints with patience. @f, after mixing for a few minutes, you see citric acid crystals forming on the bottom of the container, donDt add any more crystals. The solution is at or beyond the saturation point. +ou do not need it this strong, so dilute as appropriate to the tas! for use. &teel treated with acid seems to attract rust almost immediately it emerges into fresh air. 4inse thoroughly and dry (use a hairdryer or heat gun or put in front of a heater). Then immediately oil the surfaces or use < 1 available from Eim 2avey. $ny rust removal method leaves the clean surface susceptible to re,rusting) in hot and humid conditions you can see the rust starting to return after a few minutesF @n these situations dry each item immediately after you rinse and scrub it. Gor items that are too big to go into a container, such as saws, coat one side of the item, using towelling3rages, at a time with a concentrated solution, renewing when it starts to dry out. $fter a period wipe off the mess and rinse, and repeat if necessary. @n most cases, seized up bolts and screws etc will now wor! free. 2irty chisel handles will clean up nicely, and are ready for oiling, shellac etc after a %uic! sanding. Habels will generally come adrift, such as on 6erg chisel handles (donDt as!). ;ot water speeds up the process significantly. ;eating increases the velocity of the ions, resulting in a more violent collision with the rust particles. 4emember to chec! progress regularly, in most cases every few minutes. +ou can leave tools in the solution for an extended period without actually damaging them (however there is a slight etching going on). (xperience shows that the gun! tends to stic! to the tool if left in for a long period (day, wee! or so), and needs some serious scrubbing or wet I dry sanding to get off. Glat surfaces such as plane soles clean up much %uic!er than !nurled screws and the li!e. Therefore long soa!ing is not recommended) use of hot solution for a few minutes for easy to de,rust items to a few hours at a time for recalcitrant items, and then repeat application is recommended. +ou will notice that different steels and different levels of hardening will show up as clearly different levels of grey3blac!, and with defined lines. Citric acid is good for rusty old screws, they will come out li!e new) give them a bris! brushing to remove the gun!, oil them and reuse. <enerally people tend to (a) use too wea! a solution, (b) not use hot enough water, (c) leave the tool in the solution too long, and (d) not protect the cleaned steel3iron %uic!ly enough. 4eally thic!, hard rust on non,machined cast iron surfaces will tend to stay that way. @n these cases you are better offC (a) using the citric acid to remove the loose and surface rust, (b) drying thoroughly using a hair dryer or heat gun, (c) applying a rust converter to the affected area, (d) and painting the surface (tal!ing about machinery here mainly). 'se plastic buc!ets3containers, not metal. 2o your de,rusting outside) acid fumes are corrosive and may cause rust to develop on exposed metal surfaces. /hist this is a problem mainly with stronger acids, may also be caused by citric in some circumstances. There are suggestions that placing dissimilar metals, such as cast iron and steel, in the same solution may induce unpredictable and undesirable electrolytic effects. -ot seen by the author though. Cast iron de,rusts and etches unevenly, so treat with care. 2ipping cast iron pieces, such as machinery is useful to free up a steel pin or screw. $lso the acid solution is great for intricate cast iron wor!, eg old sewing machine frames, and for rough castings which you can only

attac! otherwise with electrolysis. Glat surfaces are best partially de,rusted in the acid solution and finished off with sandpaper bloc!s. 6e careful of spring steel (saws, lever cap spring, coil springs), and do not leave in too long. $lso ensure the spring is not under tension.

'hese notes are for general guidance only, and you should seek professional advice if you have any concerns at all about using citric acid. (n no way are these notes to be construed as providing advice of any kind. (f you use citric acid for de)rusting ensure you take all necessary protective measures. *ye protection is highly indicated, as is skin protection. $o not breathe the fumes.

-otes compiled by Beter (vans from a number of sources and personal experience.
The Traditional Tools <roup @nc B.9. 6ox -*0" 4oyal (xchange &ydney, -&/ **1

Website: tttg.org.au