How to Use Our Rust Remover

General

Enviro-Safe will no longer offer RTU (Ready-to-Use), economically it doesn't make sense to pay to ship water. Remember, you must ADD WATER prior to using our concentrate, you must ADD water to our concentrates.

The addition of water activates our Industrial Concentrate and enables the chemistry to effectively remove oxidation (rust). Our Industrial Concentrate is designed to be used at the recommended concentrations of between 10% and 20%.

Cleaning Prior to Rust Removal

Even though our diluted Industrial Concentrate has a small amount of detergent package in it and will eventually remove most contaminants, we highly recommend washing off the parts prior to applying the Industrial Concentrate. Metal Kleener 0001 is designed for this.

Economically speaking, its far less expensive to use low cost detergents to remove contaminants than to use our more expensive rust remover to do that.

Metal Kleener 0001 is a specifically designed to be used as a pre-cleaner prior to rust removal. It also works great for removing any black smut that may be present on the certain steels (only high carbon steels and some cast irons may develop the black film).

Our Metal Kleener 0001 does not contain hydroxides. We avoid any detergents that may contain sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxides. These detergents are very tough to rinse thoroughly. In adequate rinsing leaves a dried film of sodium or potassium hydroxide on the surface. Our Metal Kleener 0001 does not contain these caustics and rinses clean.

Caustic detergents (sodium or potassium hydroxides) are exceptional cleaners if nothing else works. We recommend to avoid them because of their corrosiveness and difficultly to rinse off thoroughly. You will know if your using the hydroxides because they are slippery to feel or if you get it on you. In sufficient rinsing this off your parts, the dried hydroxides will reactivate when you paint over them. The dried film under the paint will cause the paint to blister off.

On certain metals such as high carbon steels and some cast irons, a black film might form on the parts after rust removal. This film can be easily washed off by using diluted Metal Kleener 0001, try to wash it off before the film dries. If the does film dry, re-immerse part into 10% rust remover solution for 5-15 minutes and wash with diluted Metal Kleener 0001. A soft nylon type brush will help. Use between 1% and 3% Metal Kleener to 99% to 97% water, respectively.

Rust Removal

Our product is supplied to you as a concentrate and must be diluted to the proper concentration prior to use. We recommend using either 10% to 20% Industrial concentrate in water.

Remember: NO WATER- NO WORK!! Adding water activates our concentrated product and allows the chemicals to work.

Water Quality

Our product is designed to be use with most drinking quality water. If you have a choice, use softened water if available.

As with most water based concentrates, the more pure the water, the less the chemicals in the concentrate will be used up. The water hardness uses up some of the chemistry that would normally be used to remove rust, etc.

Temperature

Temperature is very important in working with any of the water-based chelant rust removers, ours or theirs.

Enviro-Safe Rust Remover is designed to work well at ambient temperatures (above 60 F). The colder the fluid is, the slower the product works. From 45 F to 55 F the product works very slowly and you may need to leave your parts in the rust removal fluid for an extended period based on temperature.

Our product is designed to be used in the operating range of 60 F to 150 F. Increasing the temperature of the fluid to 110 F will greatly increase the rust removal rate, but don't go over 150F. Temperatures above 150 F will cause the chelant to breakdown and remove far less rust or not at all.

If you decide to heat up our fluid, use low watt density heaters or keep the burners on low and slowly heat the fluid up.

Containers

Our product is deigned not to harm most rubbers, plastics and paints. Our rust remover can be safely placed into glass, plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon, ABS, PET, etc.), and stainless steel tanks. Do not use galvanized tanks, our rust remover will remove the zinc (galvanized) coating. Short term use of steel tanks is permitted, just don't store the fluid in these tanks for and extended period of time.

If you are planning on heating the fluid use metal tanks. the polyethylene and polypropylene tanks will withstand temperatures of only 120 F to 150 F. Check with your tank manufacturer for specific details.

ALWAYS pour our rust removers into clean tanks. DO NOT USE tanks with left-over soaps or detergent films on them. Our chemistry will be used up on removing this film or layer prior to remove any rust. (Call if you have any specific questions.)

Our fluids can be re-used until the solution becomes jet black in color. The rust removing times will significantly increase also. If the fluids are not jet black yet, you can easily store them until the next project comes around. If the solution is not jet black in color, you can re-use them by just covering them with a lid. This will minimize evaporation and dirt from getting into the tank. If you notice a drop in liquid level in the tank, just add new water to the tank up to the original level.

Dilution or Mixing of the Industrial Concentrate

Our product is designed to work best between 10% and 20% concentrate in water.

NOTE: Our product mixed at 10% EQUALS the leading competitors product. They sell you water and a little chemical.

10% is designed for light to heavy rust applications and one time use. Simply mix in 1 part Industrial Concentrate with 9 parts water, just use the same container when measuring. I.e.: mix 1 gallon Industrial concentrate with 9 gallons of water for a total of 10-gallons.

20% dilution is best for light to severely rusted applications and multiple use. In this case, mix 1 part of Industrial Concentrate to 4 parts water. I.e.: mix 1-gallon of Industrial Concentrate with 4 gallons of water for a total of 5 gallons.

If you are going to remove rust from a tool or similar and dispose of the fluid right after- use 10%. If you plan on constantly reusing the rust remover- use 20%. It will remove more rust and save you more money in the long run.

Application of Our Industrial Concentrate Rust Remover

Our product works well when used in either immersion or continuous spray applications. It IS NOT recommended to be sprayed on using a spray bottle, bug sprayer, etc. and left to remove rust. It will not work this way.

Immersion: applications involve placing your part into the tank and filling with diluted rust remover solution to above the part. Insure that air is not trapped in the part to be de-rusted. I.e.: placing a container in the fluid upside down with an air bubble trapped.

You may need to rotate the parts to ensure that the bottom of the part is exposed to the solution. The part has to "see" the fluid for it to work.

Continuous Spray applications: involve using a submersible pump (or equivalent), garden hose, low profile plastic tank and some polyethylene sheeting (plastic tarp) and a sprayer nozzle.

Pour the rust remover solution into the container along with the pump. Attach the hose to the pump and using a spray nozzle, spray the fluid onto the part to be de-rusted. The plastic tarp is draped so that it catches the fluid spray/drippings and returns it back into the plastic tank. This is a constant recirculation loop. Click this link for pictures.

The spray application is perfect for large parts, machinery, automobiles, insides of tanks or process vessels, etc. that wont fit into a immersion tank. It will also use much less fluid than immersion.

Typically rusted metal only need to be left in the rust removal fluid until the rust has dissolved, about 20 minutes to overnight. The time will depend on degree of rust and temperature of rust removal fluid.

Rinse parts off with water after rust removal process. You may need to use a low dilution of Metal Kleener 0001 if the parts have a black film on them. Usually only apparent with high carbon tool steels and some cast irons.

Our rust remover will also act as a short term rust preventative if left on the part.

Shelf Life of Enviro-Safe Industrial Concentrate

Typical shelf life of the Industrial Concentrate is over 2 years when un-opened. We have unopened bottles that are over 5 years old and they still work just like new fluids.

After opening it, you may expect the same shelf life if bacteria and other contaminants are not exposed to the fluids. Bacteria can be found on your hands, chewing tobacco, etc.

Simply store any unused fluid and used fluids in a covered container in a cool area.

Post Treatment of De-Rusted Parts

It is important to note that after rust removal process, the metal is very clean and can be easily re-rusted if a suitable coating is not applied immediately. You will need to apply your paint or other similar coating when the metal is dry.

Many people apply our Metal Shield 1999 to the parts in-between rust removal and painting. The Metal Shield 1999 will protect the part from re-rusting until washed off and painted. It is designed for 6 months to 1-year indoors rust protection. The Metal Shield 1999 will dry to touch within 30 minutes or so, depending on temperature and humidity.

The Metal Shield can be easily washed off using our Metal Kleener 0001 diluted from 1-3%.