Brick acid

[clyst]

Been asked if I can find a use for 5ltrs of brick acid which a fellow boat owner has removed from his lockers . I know it has uses on a boat but I can't remember for what . Anyway I now have 5ltrs of it tucked away ........anyone know where I can use it onboard ?

 

[AllanG]

It can be used to clean barnacles, etc. from propellers, followed by thoroughly rinsing with water.

 

[Contest1]

I used it to desludge and descale my yanmar 3 gm 30 sea water cooled water ways.
With the thermostar removed I poured it directly intonthe engine block. Lots of gurggling and when it stoped reacting I reconnected the water pump and flushed it out. Improved the flow and reduced the exit temp.

 

[sailorman]

Dose the head with diluted hydrochloric acid to descale the pipes. Also cleans up the inside of kettle `s nicely too ( rinse well after ) Oh & for the PC brigade wear PPE

 

[[164147]]

Given it's acid I wouldn't flush any engine with it - that's what Rydlyme is for.

 

[savageseadog]

Given it's acid I wouldn't flush any engine with it - that's what Rydlyme is for.

Hydrochloric acid will attack non ferrous metals very readily

 

[Birdseye]

Been asked if I can find a use for 5ltrs of brick acid which a fellow boat owner has removed from his lockers . I know it has uses on a boat but I can't remember for what . Anyway I now have 5ltrs of it tucked away ........anyone know where I can use it onboard ?

Brick acid is dilute hydrochloric acid. Lots of bits of boat get coated in carbonates or similar compund over time and the acid can be used to get rid of them. For example, cleaning props or heat exchanger tubes and I've used it before on furred up cylinder heads on a raw water cooled engine. The risks are obvious except that in some cases the crud is all thats holding something together. I discovered that with a Volvo exhaust elbow. I got it nice and clean but that exposed rust holes.

 

[macd]

Given it's acid I wouldn't flush any engine with it - that's what Rydlyme is for.

That might make sense if Rydlyme didn't contain hydrochloric acid. Unfortunately it does. This is perhaps why the manufacturer suggests it not be used neat on aluminium.

Hydrochloric acid will attack non ferrous metals very readily

I think you need to qualify that a little. It doesn't attack copper, brass or bronze at all readily, which is why it's often used for cleaning props. More care needs to be excercised with aluminium.
It's true that tables of materials attacked by HCl will include many non-ferrous metals (and carbon steel, cast iron and 316 stainless, come to that), but this is based on long-term immersion in fairly concentrated acid, rather than a quick wash and brush with brick cleaner. This is no doubt why, before the advent of plastics, HCl was commonly stored in glass.

 

[nigelmercier]

Given it's acid I wouldn't flush any engine with it - that's what Rydlyme is for.

Seriously?

Mixture: Chemical characterization (preparation).

CAS PRODUCT NAME: RYDLYME % by Weight
7647-01-0 Hydrochloric acid 5-9

 

[[164147]]

Less than 10% - not 100% acid

 

[RichardS]

Hydrochloric acid will attack non ferrous metals very readily

We read this urban myth on the forum about once a month .... but it is still an urban myth no matter how often it's repeated.

Richard

 

[RichardS]

Less than 10% - not 100% acid

Seriously? The maximum concentration of HCl is around 33% ..... any more is impossible at normal atmospheric pressures ..... and it would be impossible to buy anything like that concentration in the UK unless you go to a specialist chemical supplier. At a guess, brick cleaner will probably be around 10%.

Richard

 

[ian2008]

I have just checked my cemtone HCL and it is 16.6% HCL so it wont take much dilution to make it match rydlime

 

[Cantata]

Useful for owners of boats in mud berths, will clean the mud film off the antifouling.

 

[[164147]]

Seriously? The maximum concentration of HCl is around 33% ..... any more is impossible at normal atmospheric pressures ..... and it would be impossible to buy anything like that concentration in the UK unless you go to a specialist chemical supplier. At a guess, brick cleaner will probably be around 10%.

Richard

What I meant was it's a diluted acid- nothing else - not 100% HCL. Rydlyme isn't just acid and water:

http://www.apexengineeringproducts.com/products/Rydlyme/faq/

 

[macd]

Originally Posted by DrSpock:
"Less than 10% - not 100% acid"

Seriously? The maximum concentration of HCl is around 33% .....

Doctors never admit they're wrong, Richard. I think it's something to do with liability insurance.

 

[RichardS]

Originally Posted by DrSpock:
"Less than 10% - not 100% acid"



Doctors never admit they're wrong, Richard. I think it's something to do with liability insurance.

Luckily we're not discussing something important like how to bring up children.

Richard

 

[AntarcticPilot]

We read this urban myth on the forum about once a month .... but it is still an urban myth no matter how often it's repeated.

Richard

Well, except for zinc engine anodes, which should be removed before using an acid treatment. But certainly, it is unlikely that the other metals present in an engine would be harmed by short immersion in hydrochloric acid (be it Rydlyme, brick cleaner or whatever). I've used it myself on a VP 2003, with good results.

 

[vyv_cox]

Even the advice that it attacks aluminium needs to be qualified. Yes, it attacks pure aluminium and some of the alloys but marine grades are fairly resistant.

I tested DZR, brass and bronze in HCl at about 10%, along with dozens of other household chemicals, when trying to differentiate between them. None of them was even stained in 20 minutes.