Rusty galvanised chain - cleaning

Refueler said:
Now that is not such a bad idea - as long as the amount of chain does not overload the mixer !!

But honestly - the sand and gravel road or sea bed is a good way .... then FW rinse ... dry and Hammerite spray.

I would not be so inclined to go the boiled linseed oil way ... its messy ... sticky in heat ... and basically does nothing about the rust.
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Until it sets, sure. Less so with aluminium. I'll probably do it as an end of season treatment so it has plenty of time to go off before use.

Re "basically does nothing about the rust." I'm not sure you can do anything about rust, (though there are those "rust converter" treatments of uncertain effectiveness but certain cost) but I suspect rust impregnated wih polymerised vegetable oil, much more penetrative than paint, forms a barrier coating.

I've used Hammerite on a boat trailer. Initially effective but once cracked I think it trapped salt next to the steel and made things worse.

Grinding aluminium into the oil separately, rather than in situ on the workpiece, (chain in this case) might have some use but I've only done it on a tiny scale (for homemade antiseize with silicone grease) and I think it would be less effective that way, since the aluminium wouldnt be intimately associated with the metal surface.

All this dragging chain around seems likely to lose residual galvanizing, unless theres none left.

If I had a cement mixer I might try chucking the chain in with some veg oil and bits of beercan/takaway dishes.

Would electrolysis to remove the rust also remove residual galvanizing? I've done this on cast iron using beercan as anode and dead fire extinguisher powder as electrolyte and it seemed to work, with possibly a phosphating effect.

Exhausting All Options
 
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ducked said:
Until it sets, sure. Less so with aluminium. I'll probably do it as an end of season treatment so it has plenty of time to go off before use.

Re "basically does nothing about the rust." I'm not sure you can do anything about rust, (though there are those "rust converter" treatments of uncertain effectiveness but certain cost) but I suspect rust impregnated wih polymerised vegetable oil, much more penetrative than paint, forms a barrier coating.

I've used Hammerite on a boat trailer. Initially effective but once cracked I think it trapped salt next to the steel and made things worse.

Grinding aluminium into the oil separately, rather than in situ on the workpiece, (chain in this case) might have some use but I've only done it on a tiny scale (for homemade antiseize with silicone grease) and I think it would be less effective that way, since the aluminium wouldnt be intimately associated with the metal surface.

All this dragging chain around seems likely to lose residual galvanizing, unless theres none left.

If I had a cement mixer I might try chucking the chain in with some veg oil and bits of beercan/takaway dishes.

Would electrolysis to remove the rust also remove residual galvanizing? I've done this on cast iron using beercan as anode and dead fire extinguisher powder as electrolyte and it seemed to work, with possibly a phosphating effect.

Exhausting All Options
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Prevention of rust relies on 2 main mechanisms. Separate the steel from oxygen in air, or provide something more attractive to the oxygen to consume before iron (steel). The first involves barriers, like paint, oil (mentioned), grease, some types of electroplating, anodizing, powderoating (really another form of paint) etc. These can all work as long as they are in tact. As soon as the paint is perforated, the oxygen-iron reaction starts (rust). Providing something more "attractive", is a little like setting a table with cakes and turnips and see which the kids devour first. The more attractive cakes will all go first, and when consumed, if still hungry the turnips. Galvanizing is one form of this protection. The zinc reacts first before the iron, with oxygen, until its all consumed, and then the steel starts reacting. Some other metals work too, and what works is according to the reactivity series of these metals. More reactive than iron and it will protect the iron, sacrificing itself until consumed. Less reactive metals, such as nickel if plated onto steel only protect by the barrier mechanism until perforated, and then the steel will protect the nickel being more reactive. (not what we want in chain).
Electrolyisis to remove rust in preference to zinc? Unlikely practical.
 
MM5AHO said:
Prevention of rust relies on 2 main mechanisms. Separate the steel from oxygen in air, or provide something more attractive to the oxygen to consume before iron (steel). The first involves barriers, like paint, oil (mentioned), grease, some types of electroplating, anodizing, powderoating (really another form of paint) etc. These can all work as long as they are in tact. As soon as the paint is perforated, the oxygen-iron reaction starts (rust). Providing something more "attractive", is a little like setting a table with cakes and turnips and see which the kids devour first. The more attractive cakes will all go first, and when consumed, if still hungry the turnips. Galvanizing is one form of this protection. The zinc reacts first before the iron, with oxygen, until its all consumed, and then the steel starts reacting. Some other metals work too, and what works is according to the reactivity series of these metals. More reactive than iron and it will protect the iron, sacrificing itself until consumed. Less reactive metals, such as nickel if plated onto steel only protect by the barrier mechanism until perforated, and then the steel will protect the nickel being more reactive. (not what we want in chain).
Electrolyisis to remove rust in preference to zinc? Unlikely practical.
Click to expand...
Yeh, probably only non-harmful if all the zinc is already gone from the section of chain being treated.

I dont have any dead fire extinguisher powder in the UK anyway,
 
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