Using Electrolysis to clean rusty parts/tanks

[sporty_drew]

Can you elaborate a little more on the electrolysis?

[garrick]

pretty much i duct taped off the top of the tank, flipped it upside down and filled it up with water. then i added 1/2 cup of sodium carbonate. This can be called washing soda, soda ash, or u can get it at some pool stores as it is used as a ph adjuster, i paid 5$ for a cup. next i made an "electrode" out of a peice of hanger, just bent it up like you can see in the pic above. then you just have to find a way to suspend it in the tank w/o it touching the tank. i used some plastic from an old medication container. sand down a small spot on the tank to bare metal to clip the negative cable to. place the positive side of a battery charger on the hanger wire, and the negative on the sanded down tab, turn on the charger and wait. the stronger the charger the less time u have to wait. turn the charger off before you take the hanger out. I've cleaned my hanger wire 3 times today, and it still needs a little more time. when your done it should be bare metal so you shouldn't have to seal it with por 15 or anything but we shall see!

[sporty_drew]

Cool, thanks for that, I'll have to remember that if/when I come across a rusty tank.

[Minitruck1506]

I like the method of cleaning the tank

[ThAzKat]

what ampere are you using on the charger?

[Kreylyn]

I'm currently doing the same electrolysis method on a pre tank that was Kreame coated. I am inserting from the top (fill hole) having left the petcock and level sensor in place. I'll be testing to see if this process has any negative effect on them once done (as they would have been thrown away anyways due to the poor condition).

Charger is set on 12V, 40amp. 12v, 10 amp will work as well. Using the fill the inside method as show in this thread. I can sand and paint the outside. I'm on day 3 now, and I have to say this is pretty awesome. Using a rattle can top to hold the dowl rod with a 2 liter soda bottle top (cut the top of the bottle off, not the cap) to keep it from touching the sides. This tank was extreamly heavily rusted, and kreame coated over the top of that. It's cleaning it all out.

I've got less than $2 as I already had a manual charger, and the dowl rod laying around. Only had to purchase some washing soda... and got enough to do this 20+ times for under $10. I prefer the dowl rod, over the coat hanger. Tried the hanger and it was eaten up almost completely in 1.5 days at the 40amp setting.

Last tank I cleaned out I used muratic acid... that cost me almost $50 for the multiple times (also kreame coated) that I had to do it. This is much easier, safer, better for the enviro...

I'm sold.

Krey

[JYD]

Electrolyte Process

I'm currently doing the same electrolysis method on a pre tank that was Kreame coated. I am inserting from the top (fill hole) having left the petcock and level sensor in place. I'll be testing to see if this process has any negative effect on them once done (as they would have been thrown away anyways due to the poor condition).

Charger is set on 12V, 40amp. 12v, 10 amp will work as well. Using the fill the inside method as show in this thread. I can sand and paint the outside. I'm on day 3 now, and I have to say this is pretty awesome. Using a rattle can top to hold the dowl rod with a 2 liter soda bottle top (cut the top of the bottle off, not the cap) to keep it from touching the sides. This tank was extreamly heavily rusted, and kreame coated over the top of that. It's cleaning it all out.

I've got less than $2 as I already had a manual charger, and the dowl rod laying around. Only had to purchase some washing soda... and got enough to do this 20+ times for under $10. I prefer the dowl rod, over the coat hanger. Tried the hanger and it was eaten up almost completely in 1.5 days at the 40amp setting.

Last tank I cleaned out I used muratic acid... that cost me almost $50 for the multiple times (also kreame coated) that I had to do it. This is much easier, safer, better for the enviro...

I'm sold.

Krey

Just started electrolysis process today.
I have a car battery charger set at 12 volts at 10 amps
Meter is reading 2 amps. Is this normal?
I have read that the meter starts at max current level then drops to lower level.
I'll post results in the next couple of days.

[Kreylyn]

Perhaps we should start a seperate thread on this instead of continuing to jack Garrick's thread?

But yeah, running mine on 40amp it would start at 15 then drop below 5amps. I believe it was due to the anode getting layered rather quickly. I'm pretty sure mine is finished (there was no change to the anode after the last cleaning).

Krey

[JYD]

OK Maybe I'm ok. The meter dropped to almost nothing so I pulled the annode (coat hanger), and was surprised to see what surely looked like a coating of rust. Just couldn't not believe it could happen that fast.
There was not a lot of rust in the tank (that I could see) but definitely some visible surface rust directly inside the tank.

[Kreylyn]

Clean it (you may have to scrape it some to break up the dark layer that collects on it) and doing it again. It will only effect the rust, so if there is no more rust, the reaction will stop and no more effect on the anode.

Krey

[JYD]

Annode

I did clean the annode and put the whole deal back together.
This time the current went up to about 6 amps then dropped lower. Seems to be hanging at about an amp or so right now. I'll let it work for a few hours then take a look.

[md86]

Hmmmm , my charger's only like 2amp ..... And my tank was Redkoted a few years ago . You guys think ......

[Kreylyn]

Hmmmm , my charger's only like 2amp ..... And my tank was Redkoted a few years ago . You guys think ......

It will work, just take a little longer. This process will remove just about any coating. The kreame coat in mine, paint, primer... it's all coming off/out. I really need to post some pics.

Krey

[JYD]

Tank Cleaning

Krey,

You should post some pictures. I'm wondering how you know when the process is done?
I have about 20 hours of electroloysis time into this now and have changed the anode twice (using hangers).

I still keep getting what looks like rust and green gunk on the anode. Is it possible some type of coating is coming off as well?

Will I know the process is complete when the anode comes out clean
Or do I look for something else to know the proces is done?

I just can't believe there is that much rust in the tank. From what I could see there was just a little surface rust directly inside the filler hole. Could have been a lot more rust in places I could not see???

[Black_peter]

Using Electrolosys to clean rusty parts/tanks

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