[Amps] LYE

[Larry]

Robert Bonner wrote:
> We used LYE to clean melted aluminum off steel cylinder sleeves on Top Fuel
> Dragster engines.  You could toss the sleeves into the lye and not worry
> about the steel cylinders but watch the aluminum bubble away.  
Wow, Bob, I can't imagine what the concentration of that solution might 
be. No matter what I do here, I can't get it to "bubble away" aluminum. 
Could it be accelerated by the presence of steel? An electrochemical 
process? Been way to long since my last chemistry class!!

I usually mix about 2 tablespoons of sodium hydroxide to a quart of 
water. More or less depending on what I'm doing. If I'm in a big hurry, 
I'll use water from the hot water tap. Even so, I can leave 0.015" 
thickness sheet aluminum in the solution for an hour without being able 
to measure any difference in the thickness of the sheet.

Also as stated, it's important to move things around in the tank. 
Leaving parts just sit on the bottom will cause undesirable consequences.

73, Larry

-- 
Larry - W7IUV
DN07dg
http://w7iuv.com