Double Y Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I found and old used up fire extinguisher that I planed on making a gong out of. Turns out the bottle is aluminum.... I found this out after I emptied the bottle, but I still figured it would work. So I cut off the bottom and decided to soak the barrel of the bottle in my bucket of meuratic acid I use to remove mill scale.... I just learned aluminum doesn't like acid! When I first put the bottle in the bucket nothing happened at first so I left it there and went on about my other projects. I came back to the bucket about two hours later to a bubbling cauldron of doom! Looks like at least a 1/16 of the barrel has been eaten but only in the spots the paint had already been taken off. I am soaking the barrel in a tub of water after I liberally washed it down. I think it will still make a gong, but how big of a mistake did I make and could of it been dangerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkunkler Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Yes, that can be dangerous. That explosive gas bubbling off was hydrogen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shimanek Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Well at least you started with a thicker container than I did; I had a dilute solution of muriatic in a tin foil pan with an old rusty hunk of steel I was cleaning for a project. It started fizzing a bit so i thought it was working; pretty soon it started fizzing a lot and I just got it out of the garage when it ate completely though the pan......close one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Aluminum is highly reactive like zinc, but develops a tougher oxide layer. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Yeah, Al is LOVED by acid, LOTS! Bubbles are generally hydrogen and occasionally other noxious to poisonous gasses. Next time use paint stripper and proper safety gear. Rubber gloves, apron, eye protection, etc. I don't know how good a bell aluminum tanks will make, it's generally a pretty "thunky" metal. A good old fashioned steel oxy bottle will make your ears bleed and sound good doing it. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Farrar Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 On a good note about aluminum and acid... During my 3rd tour in Iraq I burried some coax and network cable a couple inches down after running it through some thick walled aluminum square tube (tanks driving over wires have a habit of ruining communications...). The dirt in that area was very acidic and we were close to a sewage pond so the dirt never really dried out. After 15 months of exposure to this weak acid, I pulled up the tube when we were pulling out - the acidity had made some beautiful patterns of pock-marks that was accented nicely with a fine wire brush cup on the grinder. I'm not suggesting sending aluminum work to get buried in Iraq - just than acid can be used to "age" aluminum and gives some unique finishes. Just be sure to be safe and use all necessary PPE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Heck, I didn't think you were suggesting sending aluminum pieces to Iraq, I thought you were suggesting we pop the top off the septic tank. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 I thought you were suggesting we pop the top off the septic tank. I thought you smelled funny. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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