Possible rust remover...

[trbig]

I was doing some reading on sugars and molasses. I know a guy that has a still and was thinking of trying to make some rum.. errr.. I mean homemade fuel.

Anyway, one of the sites had this note:

"Interestingly, molasses is also an excellent chelating agent. An object coated with iron rust placed for two weeks in a mixture of one part molasses to nine parts water will lose its rust due to the chelating action of the molasses."

Cheaper than Evaporust if it works... Cheap enough to fill a gas tank to the top and leave it.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass this on for some guinea pig to try out for the rest of us.. lol.

[jetmechmarty]

I do believe I read about using molasses to derust a fuel tank over 10 years ago on the XS650 email list. I had discounted it assuming it was just another acid. Perhaps it's time for some research on my part. A quick Google search verifies it is a chelating agent. There is a lot of info on this, apparently.

[motoman]

I was doing some reading on sugars and molasses. I know a guy that has a still and was thinking of trying to make some rum.. errr.. I mean homemade fuel.

Anyway, one of the sites had this note:

"Interestingly, molasses is also an excellent chelating agent. An object coated with iron rust placed for two weeks in a mixture of one part molasses to nine parts water will lose its rust due to the chelating action of the molasses."

Cheaper than Evaporust if it works... Cheap enough to fill a gas tank to the top and leave it.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass this on for some guinea pig to try out for the rest of us.. lol.

One thing for sure Tod, with all the different adult beveages you 'brew' up for 'special' occassions, if it doesn't work, least you add another beverage to the menu.

[jwhughes3]

Yes ....pour me some of that vintage gas tank molasses please!

John

[trbig]

Making some "Hooch" in a gas tank. I'm sure there's been worse places it's been made..

[Ken Talbot]

Mollases rust removal - here's a vote NO

Now here's what you call a blast from the past. This is Mario Abenoja's accounting of his attempt at molasses rust removel from his gas tank.

Link here

Note the date on this post! And, note this is part of the archives still available at our old XS11 site on Yahoo groups.

[jetmechmarty]

I found this article on environmentally safe derusting methods. I found it interesting enough to share.

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/b...e/viewall.html

[D0wn5h1ft]

EDTA is a good solution too. For $20 you can make ~43L of rust remover. It is "rumored" to be the active chelating agent in Evapo-Rust but obviously significantly cheaper.

[CaptonZap]

EDTA is a good solution too. For $20 you can make ~43L of rust remover. It is "rumored" to be the active chelating agent in Evapo-Rust but obviously significantly cheaper.

Yep, and if you use some clean solution, you can rejuvinate your old battery.

CZ

[D0wn5h1ft]

Yep, and if you use some clean solution, you can rejuvinate your old battery.

CZ

Wow, didn't know that. Really interesting now that I looked it up.

[fredintoon]

"Interestingly, molasses is also an excellent chelating agent. An object coated with iron rust placed for two weeks in a mixture of one part molasses to nine parts water will lose its rust due to the chelating action of the molasses."

Hi Tod,
I tried the ol' molasses trick on a gas tank once.
Seemed to work reasonably well and didn't eat the petcocks as I'd removed them and blanked off the holes.
Recipe said 2 weeks but I forgot about it so the molasses sat in there for 6 weeks.
Be warned, that stuff is organic and it GOES BAD.
Disposal, pour down street drain at midnight wearing a breathing mask.

[trbig]

Hmmm.. Mixed results, but sounds like there are better options. Guess I'll save my molasses for "Fuel" making.

[DAVINCI]

I'll never use molasses in my gingerbread cookies again

[Cobia]

When Tod posted this it piqued my curiosity so I did some research and learned about the biological, chemical, and physical reasons why it works. And it does work without a doubt.
Then I viewed this You Tube video of this guy down under who uses it regularly to fight corrosion. He's got a barrel in a shed with a molasses solution where he dips corroded items to neutralize the effects of oxidation.
What caught my attention, and why I think this may not be an answer to corroded tanks, is that depending on the depth of the corrosion it might require repeated wire brushing and several extended immersions in the solution to totally get rid of the rust as in the BBQ burner he demonstrated with.
You can't wire brush the inside of a tank....damn.
Not that I have a rusty tank...
Just saying...