Acetic acid - How strong?

[Joe5917]

Spotless Stainless, the brush-on/rinse-off goop that removes topical rust from stainless steel, worked really, really well on my stanchions and deck fittings.

But as I was rinsing it off I noticed some of it had oozed onto halyards and other lines. Now I'm wondering whether the acid has somehow weakened the rope. The manufacturer doesn't seem to make mention of any hazards.

 

[thinwater]

Generally acids are not too bad on polyester...

Spotless Stainless, the brush-on/rinse-off goop that removes topical rust from stainless steel, worked really, really well on my stanchions and deck fittings.

But as I was rinsing it off I noticed some of it had oozed onto halyards and other lines. Now I'm wondering whether the acid has somehow weakened the rope. The manufacturer doesn't seem to make mention of any hazards.

... but not too good either. Scrub the surface and see if it fuzzes in the contact area. If not, don't worry.

It should have no effect on spectra.

Acids are terrible on nylon. That is the real fear.

 

[Steve Dion]

Citrus Acid - from the mfg.

"The standard that we reference that specifies the acids to use for passivation is American Standard for Testing and Materials - ASTM A967 - Standard Specification for Chemical Passivation Treatments for Stainless Steel Parts.

ASTM A 967 may be used instead of Federal Specification QQ-P-35, "Passivation Treatments for Corrosion-Resistant Steel." QQ-P-35 only covers passivation by the nitric acid processes. ASTM A 967 covers passivation treatments using either nitric acid or citric acid (which is less hazardous and more environmentally acceptable). ASTM A 967 is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A-1 on Steel, Stainless Steel, and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee A01.14 on Methods of Corrosion Testing. The current edition was approved on 10 September 1996. QQ-P-35 will be canceled. QQ-P-35C, dated 28 October 1988, NOTICE 1 dated 4 APRIL 1997 and NOTICE 2 dated 14 NOVEMBER 1997, are hereby canceled. Future acquisitions for this product should refer to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification ASTM A967, "Standard Specification for Chemical Passivation Treatments for Stainless Steel Parts", or, SAE Aerospace Materials Specification (AMS) AMS-QQ-P-35, "Passivation treatments for Corrosion-Resistant Steel". Aerospace applications require the use of AMS-QQ-P-35. (Notice from the feds about the cancellation of QQ-P-35)

Yes there are different formulations and processes for different grades of stainless.

The active ingredient in Spotless Stainless is primarily Citric Acid. Not far off with the Bug Juice - I would stay away from the wire pad.

The formulation we have is specifically designed for the marine environment to provide efficient removal of all rust and "free iron" from the surface of stainless steel and providing the highest chrome oxide levels possible. It adheres to vertical surfaces and essentially creates a chemical bath around Stainless Steel. There is a "how it works page" on Spotless Stainless - Home . Thank you for your comments."