Kitchen chemistry (was: Flux and FeCl)

[Rene Schmitz]

At 15:22 11.03.1998 -0800, you wrote:
>
>>>I've said it B4 and I'll say it again: I use MEK
>>>(Methyl Ethyl Keytone). Works great, but please make sure
>>>you use it outdoors...
>>
>>Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that this
>>substance was outlawed well over 10 years ago in the USA.
>
>
>Nope. I buy it off the shelf at the local hardware store.
>
>Great for removing flux and great for giving cancer.
>You choose. ;-)
>
>-K
>
>
OK, your choice! But has anybody tried using a rotating wire-brush.
(the ones you can get for Dremel drills)
I'll give it a chance, since its probably an alternative to either 
polluting the environment or damaging your health.

On the subject of etching aluminium, I think that NaOH would do a great job, 
since the reaction is slow, and NaOH isn't particularly toxic. 
It is caustic however but nothing serious will happen even if you put it 
over your hands. (a weak solution of 10% assumed)
One can also use NaOH for developing photo-coated boards. 
And the developer that one can buy etches Al as well. 
(This all is only observation from putting little pieces of Al into the
solutions, and watching them dissolve. I never created an "artwork" with it) 

Another (nasty) method of etching copper is to use a solution of HCl and 
H2O2 (hydrogenperoxide). But here chloride gas gets into the air, and this
is really no fun! To put it out clearly: Dangerous!

Stay healthy!

  Rene










=(uzs159 at uni-bonn.de)========================
             ,          : 
|") [" |\ | ["          :   This space 
|"\ [_ | \| [_          :   intentionally   
                        :   left blank
                        :
=(http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159)============