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Registered Member #193
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022
"Oh, another big warning: when diluting ANY strong base or acid, always add ACID or BASE TO WATER, never water to acid/base. " Gooda advice but it's worth pointing out that for most acids and solutions of bases it doesn't matter. It would be a pity if someone carelessly added water to HCl, noticed that nothing happened and thought they could get away with doing the same with conc H2SO4.
Registered Member #8
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 04:34AM
Location: Harlowton, MT, United States
Posts: 214
You don't need any peroxide with muriatic (HCl) acid to etch aluminum. It attacks it very quickly as is, with vigorous fizzing and fuming. I use muriatic acid to quickly remove the zinc from galvanized pipe fittings for chemical apparatus all the time too. It is for copper etching that the peroxide/HCl bath is used. I just think the non-volatile things like NaOH or H2SO4 would be more user friendly for aluminum etching than HCl.
Registered Member #193
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022
If I was trying to dissolve Al in the lab I'd use HCl. If I wanted the impurities to dissolve too I'd probably add H2O2, but be aware that the mixture of H2O2 and HCl isn't stable. It decomposes to give Cl2 and O2. If it does that in a sealed bottle you will be in trouble.
Registered Member #3559
Joined: Sun Jan 02 2011, 01:19AM
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Posts: 16
For a slow/gentle Aluminium etch I use equal amounts of Salt and Copper sulphate dissolved in water. For a rapid and aggressive etch I would use Sodium Hydroxide. That is used when dissolving the aluminium mandrels after electroforming complex shapes.
Registered Member #2099
Joined: Wed Apr 29 2009, 12:22AM
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 1716
As long as the part you want to leave unetched is a single piece, and you can make an electrical connection to it, a plain salt solution + DC electricity will eat aluminum at a rate of your choosing. Can also etch copper, or stainless steel, I bet even gold.
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Whats the best way to etch alumnium ?
