Rust please !!!

[Clyd3]

Hi, I've got a little tub with some salt water, a old computer power supply and a piece of cast iron supplying me with rust... it's nice and everything, does its job - but in line with the world - I NEED MORE FASTER!!! okay?
Anyway, I figure higher current &/or voltage helps here. I have access to lotsa useful stuff - workshops - broken things - etc
Now does anyone have ideas to recommend me trying???
Any ideas for what power supply i should use

I've even got monitor power things lying around - but i'm not sure whether the low current would help. My suspicion is i need high current - how do i go about getting high current???
I can't really plug in a power cord from the wall, as much as i'd enjoy it, the changes in polarity would cause a combination of rust and rust acid forming (and cancelling ) - i don't want rust acid... so obviously this puts AC out the window

There are obviously hazards involved - exposed liquid - electricity - i'm relatively sensible

 

[panic mode]

running current thrugh pipes if often used to prevent corrosion. if you have working setup you can duplicate or multipy it. but why would anyone want rust? what is it good for? you can increase surface of the metal (use wire bundles or metal shavings instead of one solid iron piece...)

 

[Analog]

To accelerate the process, you can increase the surface area of the cast iron. One way to do this without providing a larger piece is to have it ground up into cast iron filings and disperse that in the liquid. You can alternately visit any metal shop and get as much iron filings from machining operations as your heart desires. That's what I would recommend.

 

[Clyd3]

yeah, increasing surface area sounds good - i was thinking of making an electrode with iron filings - sounds involved

inspired by the word agitate i finally got something worthwhile out of google by using the keyword catalyst...

anyway
https://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-111244.html
gave me links to h202.com - fascinating website - amazing stuff peroxide - my favorite

 

[bkinman]

Rust! no problem, salt water solution and 2 electrodes, the proper power supply will have a large current rating and a high voltage. To get the fastest results, you need more surface area.... use steel wool, that is what i use.

Make sure you rubber-band the steel wool to the proper electrode. =)... and also, be careful, more current and voltage means more hydrogen gas, which could explode.


Edit:
You can get buy just fine with just a few watts of power, it will only take a couple of hours.

 

[bkinman]

You will also need very fine aluminum shavings if you are planning to make thermite. I reccomend old etch-a-sketches... The powder inside of them is aluminum. You will get quite a reaction.

 

[bkinman]

I hear that you can also purchase iron oxide from pottery studios... I hear that they use it to color thier clay. Be careful though, because the one pottery studio i went to gave me some iron oxide that was a polymer color pigment, and not iron oxide.

 

[Clyd3]

hell - explode - sheesh - i guess i'll put a fan nearby - open a few windows - something like that
anyway - using salt water already - any better suggested electrolyte??? I'm gonna do more searches for catalysts and alike
What appliances have high current high voltage dc???
or should i rather go with a large ac to dc monster converter???
Rubber band - neat

got pleanty of aluminium to grind up - that's no problem

pity i don't live with my ma anymore- for the pottery scene

thanks there - bkinman's first 3 posts - help ME hahehe

 

[Clyd3]

HOLY MONKEY - i poured abt 10ml 30% peroxide in there
walked away to rinse my hands (your fingers inevitably start itching white)
came back (less than a minute lated) to find my clear sollution dark brown...
THAT'S THE STUFF - i didn't think peroxide would come in handy here!!!
anyway, explanation - the iron ions in the sollution react with hydroxyl ions OH- to form rust, so I added H202, which forms OH ions when added to water - used admitedly higher concentrations than I should've, and BAM!!!

(now I just hope i haven't formed something other than rust hehe)

 

[Hero999]

What do you need this rust for?

 

[HarveyH42]

Iron Oxide has several uses, some best not to discuss publicly...

 

[Oznog]

It boggles my mind what uses of iron oxide would be "best not to discuss publicly". It's... iron oxide.

 

[panic mode]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

 

[eblc1388]

What do you need this rust for?

Selling antiques or artifact what was made the day before.

 

[Clyd3]

yeah, ahem... the antique reason of course...
makes stuff look old, yeah...

Working on making magnetite now - more related to electronics i guess, as it is the most magnetic of the minerals, and performs better, that is if i was actually going to use it for the reason above...
Actually, this magnetite stuff looks fascinating

 

[Hero999]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

That stuff is supposed to be great at destroying speed cameras!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

That stuff is supposed to be great at distroying speed cameras!

Isn't there a guy in the UK currently awaiting sentencing for blowing one up?.

 

[Hero999]

I haven't heard about it, but I believe you. I've heard about gangs of anygry motorists going around vandalising speed cameras.

 

[Clyd3]

hell, all our guys do is break things (no recognizable pattern)
nothing requiring some intillect, suggesting that there is a reason, like speed cameras (or cctv if you want to be extreme)
OUR GUYS SIMPLY BREAK STUFF
like breaking already broken things etc.
But hey, the advantage of South Africa is you are free to experiment with whatever you want - sort of