Hi,

 

I'm new to this forum and am trying to produce Fe203(RUST aka Ferric oxide) through electrolysis. I have attatched a thick copper wire to the negative(black)lead and a normal galvanized steel nail.(I think its galvanized, its the kind that is not all rough, it is smooth and kind of gold/bronze). Anyways I want to make sure im not making Acid rust, the opposite of rust. When i do this i yield a thick goopy black/grey liquid that contains only the tiniest trace of rust in it. From what i have heard this is supposed to make rust on the nail and I should scrape it off and let it accumulate. The metal is disentegrating also. The copper wire bubbles and withing 5 minutes the water is dark black. When I reverse the wires it slowly in like 2 hours gives off a small trace of light blue coloring and some rust color moves off the copper wire when i move it. Maybe i have to give the reverse process more time? I dont know, any help would be appreciated. By the way i am using a dc converter just plugged into the wall, it seems to be applying enough power. Should the nail be iron? Some site have said use an iron nail, if so how do i tell if a nail is iron? Thanks in advance

 

Erik

 

EDIT: HERES PICTURES

http://www.thesellgrens.com/rustp/rust.html

any help would be great, i also have an extra 12v dc converter from a cell phone charger if that would be better than this car charger, also where do i get graphite(carbon) electrodes, Thanks

 

New Update: By putting a steel nail on both electrodes i have made some black magnetic hard stuff and a lot of goopy black crap(possibly rust acid) anyways any reply would be REALLY NICE PLEASE

 

Also someone suggested using graphite electrodes. Please go into more detail about what to attatch to what and where to obtain these graphite/carbon electrodes. Some one said that you can get them from old flash light batteries which i dont have, but if i did what do you mean, more detail please.

 

Thanks

.

why did you start a new thread on this?

 

i suggested the graphite electrode. simply wrap the wire around it. the graphite in pencils will work. oh and don't let the copper touch the mixture.

 

and to make Fe2O3 the iron/steel nail goes on the POSITIVE electrode.

 

looking at the pictures, it seems you've made a lot of copper compounds. this is why i said graphite electrodes and to put the nail on the positive side ***hits airy with shoe***

Sooorrryyy, but no one was replying or viewing even when i edited, sorry

anyways, il try that, thanks, and its just tables salt and tap water right?

As I mentioned in another thread. It is hydrated iron(III) oxide for the rust.

You can make iron oxide very easily, burning it in air, but you only get a handful of black solid only, but not the reddish brown rust.

As I may be in a dearth of the knowledge here,

I'd only mention several factors that help speed up the rusting, I hope that they are useful.

1.Temperature

2.Presence of acidic substance, elctrolyte

3.Attachment to a less reactive metal

4.Scratched surface, resulting in a high density of charge/

 

Edit:

and its just tables salt and tap water right?

Sorry, I don't understand. May you put down the question briefly?