ferric chloride stain remover. yes or no?

[darron]

hey.

i made some stains in my father's factory in the plastic sink and on the painted concrete floor. i need to clean it tomorrow as he is selling.

i tried bleach, which didn't work as expected. maybe some hydrochloric acid?


RS sells a ferric clhoride remover.... but i have my doubts as to if it will work or not? it's a bit of a drive to collect and costs a bit for a chance...

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=2162699



what do you guys think?


feel free to move this to OT admins, if you feel...



thanks (:

[~arph]

sandpaper 

[darron]

that's what i was thinking. i did it on a ceramic sink once... i had to gauge in pretty deep too. i don't think that he will appreciate the damage....

[~arph]

I think you need a similar agressive chemical but one that is colorless.. I don't think FeCl stains are stains on top of a surface, it bites into it.

[earthtonesaudio]

Mask off a nice pattern and apply more FeCl.  Make lemonade.

[Mark Hammer]

That's precisely why you need to be careful when using FeCl.

[~arph]

So in short... if the sell depends on it:

Paint the floor, install new sink  

[darron]

from past lessons i have a feeling that it is pretty strongly engrained in there....


i made the trip to RS today to pick up some remover ($$$) but they told me they can't get it in until tomorrow which would be too late for me, regardless of the website telling me it is ready to pickup....


sigh.



i'll get back to you if some hydrochloric scrubbing works tonight... don't hold your breath though!

[composition4]

citric and phosphoric acid

i.e. try lemon juice and scrub with a toothbrush/nylon brush

then try same with coke (the soft drink, not the drug)

ignore that... Diggers Rust and Stain Remover, apparently available at Bunnings... not sure if Bunnings is closed, might still be open in Vic given that it's thursday

[Nolind]

Try a pro photographic supplier for what they call dish cleaner. It's a Ferricyanide bleaching solution.   It may work.    If they only sell it as Farmers solution or reducing solution it won't be strong enough.

[MarcoMike]

at very low pH ferric hydroxide (the brown stuff) should be soluble... very little though... but you may try with some concentrated hydrochloric acid (muriatic) and see what happens (allow it to work for some time... )
the use of a reducing agent also may help, as ferrous compounds are more soluble (but greenish, it may look worse...)
the best thing that I am able to think at the moment would be an exausted Cu/CuCl2 bath (made dissolving Cu metal in CuCl2 + HCl): it's very easy to prepare and it's both reducing due to Cu1+ and acidic for HCl...
but this is just guessing... a proper reducing agent would be better, but I am a chemist, I have no idea what you are able to find out there...

[darron]

on composition4's advice i got into bunnings just in time... rust and stain remover worked a treat! couldn't find the diggers brand one though with assistance. the one i got was randall i think and level 8 corrosive. i got a tiny bit on my right arm and really felt it pretty quick.


i got some on my shirt and it stained it, how do i get that out now? nope... just kidding.....



thanks for your advice!