Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:52 pm
Ehhhhhh,
I don't think that Hexavalent Chromium is a likely biproduct of electrolysis.
Firstly, if we follow the concept, the parts to be cleaned lose mass, whereas, the electrodes we are using as anodes actually gain mass......none of the stainless is dissolved by process of electrolysis.....now, some of it is dissolved by virtue of the caustic solution, no doubt. These compounds, however, should be chromates, and not hexavalent chromium.
If you have a city sewerage system, I do believe it would be quite safe to dump your efflux from stainless annodes right down the drain. The concentrations (if any are present) would not be of any serious level.
No one wants chromium of any type in their groundwater, however, so dumping it onto open soil, or into your septic system is probably not a good idea.
BigHoss.....
Copper would work fine if what you were trying to clean up was bronze, copper, or brass. Since it is iron and steel that you are cleaning, however, one needs to use iron or steel anodes.
You should see how electrolysis works for cleaning up old bronze cannons from shipwrecks....... takes that nasty sea-crud right off!! Those boys use copper pipe anodes.
I don't think that Hexavalent Chromium is a likely biproduct of electrolysis.
Firstly, if we follow the concept, the parts to be cleaned lose mass, whereas, the electrodes we are using as anodes actually gain mass......none of the stainless is dissolved by process of electrolysis.....now, some of it is dissolved by virtue of the caustic solution, no doubt. These compounds, however, should be chromates, and not hexavalent chromium.
If you have a city sewerage system, I do believe it would be quite safe to dump your efflux from stainless annodes right down the drain. The concentrations (if any are present) would not be of any serious level.
No one wants chromium of any type in their groundwater, however, so dumping it onto open soil, or into your septic system is probably not a good idea.
BigHoss.....
Copper would work fine if what you were trying to clean up was bronze, copper, or brass. Since it is iron and steel that you are cleaning, however, one needs to use iron or steel anodes.
You should see how electrolysis works for cleaning up old bronze cannons from shipwrecks....... takes that nasty sea-crud right off!! Those boys use copper pipe anodes.