Description:
Ecotec® liquid rust remover for metal is an effective, carefully formulated product, to be used straight from its container without dilution or addition of any other materials. It is completely water soluble, odorless, and non-flammable. It does not produce fumes. It contains no hazardous or highly corrosive mineral acids or toxic volatile acids, such as muriatic acid or phosphoric acid. Non-poisonous, it contains no phosphorus or chlorine or petroleum distillates. It is biodegradable and will not harm the environment. As such, its components are not regulated. The product is only mildly acidic. At pH = 3.7 to 3.9, it is actually less acidic than lemon juice or household vinegar. It is made from materials that comply with the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) and U. S. Pharmacopeia (USP) specifications. Even so, do not mix it with any other chemicals or household cleaners.
Rust Removal
All three forms of Ecotec® rust remover safely remove tarnish, rust, and mill scale from carbon steel, mild steel, stainless steel, and cast iron. Ecotec® does not attack the underlying metal. It will not harm plastic, paint, glass, aluminum, copper, brass, nickel, chrome, ceramics, or glazed tile. It will, however, attack zinc, lead and tin alloys, and should not be used on items that contain these metals, such as galvanized steel or pewter. Ecotec® rust remover will also damage genuine marble and plaster.
To derust iron or steel with Ecotec® liquid, first remove oil, dirt, and loose rust. Place item in an open container or tank made of stainless steel, glass, polyethylene (non-heated tanks), fiberglass plastic, or steel lined with plastic or rubber. Do not use a galvanized container. Pour in Ecotec® rust remover to completely cover the item to be derusted. Allow item to soak until derusting is complete - 15 minutes to overnight, depending on severity of rust. To speed derusting, heat the solution (but not to boiling), brush away loose rust sludge every 20 or 30 minutes. Rinse derusted item thoroughly with tap water. Dry. If the item is allowed to dry without rinsing off the Ecotec®, it will resist flash rusting.
Ecotec® liquid may be used over and over to derust many items until its strength is depleted. Laboratory tests were conducted using 1/8" x 5" x 8 1/2" test panels of hot-rolled carbon steel. The surfaces of these panels were encrusted with heavy rust 4.5 to 5.0 thousandths of an inch thick. The rusty test panels were derusted in batches of 7 panels spaced 1/4" apart. The test used 2 3/4 quarts of Ecotec rust remover, which was not changed or refreshed during the test. At room temperature (77-80 Deg F), the first batch of panels were rust-free in 1.5 hours. As the strength of the Ecotec® rust remover is depleted the derusting rate slows so that the fifth batch of test panels required 8 hours for complete rust removal. At the same time the acidity of the Ecotec® rust remover dropped from pH = 3.8 to pH = 6.5 (nearly neutral). At this point we judged that the rust remover was spent. Based on this laboratory data, we calculated that one gallon of Ecotec® rust remover will derust 30 square feet of steel having rust 4.5 to 5.0 thousandths of an inch deep on its surface. To put this in perspective, if one gallon of Ecotec® rust remover is spread over 30 square feet of steel, it will be only 0.053 inches deep, that is, 1/20 of an inch, and this depth will be sufficient to remove rust of the same thickness as on our test panels.
To derust with Ecotec cream, clean the metal surface as above, brush on the cream, and let stand until rust is dissolved. Scrub off and rinse derusted metal surface with water. Dry. Wipe off the Ecotec cream before it dries, as it may be difficult to remove when dry. Water may be applied to dried Ecotec cream to soften and aid in removal.
Temperature effect on rust removal
The hotter the Ecotec® rust remover, the faster it will remove rust. As an example, at room temperature (77 Deg F), one of the rusty test panels described above will be rust free after 1.5 hours immersion in Ecotec liquid. At 194-199 Deg F (Ecotec® boils at 212 Deg F), the panel will be rust free in 10 minutes.
Safety and handling
The data contained herein are for general informational purposes only. Please refer to the Ecotec® Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for specific, complete information regarding these products. MSDS sheets are available from Singerman Laboratories.
Waste disposal
All of the ingredients of Ecotec® are naturally-occurring substances and are widely distributed in nature. They are completely and rapidly biodegradable, essentially non-toxic, and do not build up in the environment. However, it is the user's responsibility to know the appropriate local, state, and federal regulations for waste disposal of this product. These regulations take precedence over any advice offered by Singerman Laboratories.
Technical Service
Please call or fax Singerman Laboratories if you need technical assistance for the proper use of Ecotec®. We will work with you to jointly solve any problems you encounter.
The above data are based on tests and experience which Singerman Laboratories believes reliable, and are supplied for informational purposes only. Singerman Laboratories disclaims any liability for damage or injury which results from the use of the above data and nothing contained therein shall constitute a guarantee, warranty or representation by Singerman Laboratories with respect to the data, the products described or their use for any specific purpose.
