Chemistry help - Acid Etching

izafireman

Well-Known Member
Hopefully there are a few who are good at chemistry here as I need help with a Hydrochloric acid solution which I need to mix in order to etch a couple of stainless steel knife blanks I have ground out.

The hydrochloric acid I bought is a 36% strength mixture.
The volume of my etching chamber is 2.3 litres

So what I need to know is, what ratio of acid to water would I need to make 2.3 litres @ 15- 20 %

Many thanks.

P
 
Correct me if I am wrong. But, if you have 36% acid solution and want 18% acid solution then you would mix your dillutant at 50%. Meaning you need 1.15 liters of acid solution and 1.15 liters of dillutant.

Correct??? I suck at stuff like this.

BTW: If I am correct, what did I win??
 
Now Dennis, you can see how utterly useless I am a maths as it became clear when I saw your answer :oops:, I am honestly terrible where maths is concerned :(

And congratulations you won first place for the quickest answer :)...your winner's cheque is in the post :D:D

Thanks for answering this Dennis.
 
Correct me if I am wrong. But, if you have 36% acid solution and want 18% acid solution then you would mix your dillutant at 50%. Meaning you need 1.15 liters of acid solution and 1.15 liters of dillutant.

Correct??? I suck at stuff like this.

BTW: If I am correct, what did I win??
Nailed it.
 
Not that I know anything about etching stainless.... but, why 18%. Wouldn't 36% etch perhaps twice as fast?
And... pardon me for the dumb question, why are you etching the stainless steel?
 
Not that I know anything about etching stainless.... but, why 18%. Wouldn't 36% etch perhaps twice as fast?
And... pardon me for the dumb question, why are you etching the stainless steel?


The steel is Markus Balach stainless Damascus and so I am going by their recommendations. Also I figured that the lower levels of strength are most likely safer.

Hence I am going for just over the smallest practical volume for my needs at the moment and also erring on the weaker side. Also with the smaller volume I can heat the vessel I am using as the thank (PVC soil pipe with blanking cap) out side in a larger vessel which I can heat.

Its also the first time I have attempted any of this so I might be doing thigs wrong?
 
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