Thread: Cleaning Marine Growth off of Alloy parts?

> Hydroflouric Acid, as an industrial engineer I am well aware of it, it's a bit like hydrogen-cyanide, fluorine gas, asbstos, etc, they are all substances which do particular jobs extremely well, but have particularly nasty side effects. I am suprised you can buy it from Bunnings (never actually checked), think I will avoid it though, I don't consider a free pushbike worth the risk of having my bones dissolve from the inside out....

> oxidation dulls aluminium. You can protect new aluminium from going dull by painting it with a clear product. Buffing also polishes it back to shiny new. Be careful using acid on aluminium, it is very corrosive with this metal and with the wrong concentration, you'll end up with nothing left!

> I'm not a chemist, but I think the shiny appearance of "bare aluminium" is actually caused by the oxide layer, which has been added and made smooth under controlled conditions by anodising. Removiing it and allowing it to reform in an uncontrolled way is what makes the aluminium dull. So the trick is to find a chemical which removes the unwanted stuff but not the oxide layer itself. I was thinking maybe some kind of acid....

> Fair enough. Can't do any more than that. Sorry, no idea how to clean it. Being alloy, should you soak it for a little while in fresh water?? Might be a bit late if already dried out tho.

> I cont beleive no one has suggested the obvious.. I have cleaned up many bottles and other things using either vinegar or swiming pool acid watered down a little.. Hydrocloric acid.. the stuff will disolve in a few hours.

> Take it to an Anodising place. Ask if they can just do all the pre-treatment without the anodising. Or get them to anodise it and your have one cool looking frame.

> Is that product that removes calcuim called CLR? What is it like on ali?

> Not sure what it would be like to get deposits from marine life off but you could try a product called salt-x which is supposed to be very good at getting salt water remains off just about anything.. I have just bought some to use on my aluminium rebreather handsets but it is too soon to give you a real yes or no.. www.salt-x.com.au Jamie

> I'm no expert but it sounds like a job for the sonic bath?

> What you need is Hydrofluoric acid. Warning its really nasty ****! It will eat your bones away while you live to suffer the pain. Its something you need the full protection suit and gloves etc to apply and you can't breath the fumes either coz they will eat your lungs. Like I said - its really nasty ****. BUT! It works a treat on aluminium with calcium deposits from marine growth...use it to clean the charter boat which is made of...