[modeleng] Re: Interesting Effect

Hi John,
Thanks for the explanation.
I previously thought that you could only Plate if electrolosis was involved.

Clif
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Pagett" <john_pagett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 9:15 PM
Subject: [modeleng] Re: Interesting Effect


> Clif,
>
> The copper comes from previously pickled objects. Copper oxide will 
> dissolve
> in the acid to produce a copper salt (copper sulphate if you use sulphuric
> acid). This will react with any iron in a displacement reaction, because
> iron is more reactive than copper.
>
> I'm sure the real chemists will tell us that it's all more complicated 
> than
> that!
>
> I'd attempt to write a couple of chemical equations but I don't think we 
> can
> use subscripts here....
> Ah lets try anyway
>
> Copper oxide dissolving in acid
> CuO + H2SO4 = CuSO4 + H2O
>
> And
> replacing the iron in the steel
>
> Fe + CuSO4 = FeSO4 + Cu
>
> I know that ions are involved in reality but I think that adds to the
> confusion when explaining it!
>
> Hope that is of some interest.
>
> JohnP
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Clifton Walker" <clif.gwr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 8:42 PM
> Subject: [modeleng] Interesting Effect
>
>
> HI All,
> Continuing the manufacture of my Buffers for a Wagon, I had an interesting
> effect.
> I had silver soldered the shanks onto the heads and being lazy decided to
> remove the Flux residue by chucking them into some acid. Now the acid is 
> old
> stuff previously used for cleaning copper and brass items.
> They are Mild steel but when I got them out after only about half an hour
> they had a beautiful copper plated finish.
> If I had wanted to copper plate them then, I would have expected to have 
> to
> wire them up to a battery and put in a sacrificial anode but there they 
> were
> all coppery, free for nothing.
> What happened?
>
> The finish only being thin, did partially rub off using emery paper.
>
> The wagon under construction as a matter of interest is a creation of mine
> to clean my Aluminium Track. The track being only small gets a build up
> after a couple of hours running of Oil and Water which turns into a grey
> paste which then gives endless wheel slip.
> This wagon is designed to have electric motorised roller brushes fed with
> either White Spirt or Parafin from a small feed pump worked from one of 
> the
> axles.Hopefully it will wash the muck off the rails.
> Time will tell if it is going to work as I seem to have trouble these days
> getting into my Workshop.
>
> Regards
>
> Clif
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