Waterbased selective rust remover for iron, steel, cast iron and chrome platings
EVAPO-RUST® is ideal for removing rust because:
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unlike traditional acid-based rust removers, EVAPO-RUST® does not harm the underlying not-rusted metal, because it works through selective chelation, without any necessity to check periodically the rust removal process, to avoid both the underlying not-rusted metal corrosion, and the final acid neutralization. Even more so whenever the rust layer does not extend to the whole metal surface, with unavoidable resulting corrosion of the not-rusted metal surface in contact with the acid-based rust remover
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unlike rust converters, EVAPO-RUST® avoids the danger, especially in case of heavy rust, that the rust-converted layer will not extend to the whole rust thickness; that is, it may remain a residual rust layer between the superficial rust-converted layer, and the underlying not-rusted metal.
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unlike both traditional acid-based rust removers, and rust converters, EVAPO-RUST® reduces hydrogen embrittlement following exposure to hydrogen, which may weaken the metal structure inside (hydrogen embrittlement)
Why choose EVAPO-RUST®
✔️ Operative
✔️ Selective action
✔️ Economical
✔️ Safe
✔️ Easy
Operative
Utilized by the U.S.Navy, U.S.Air Force, U.S.Army, NATO, FBI, CIA, Engine Builders, Auto Enthusiasts, Gunsmiths, Forensic Labs, OEM’s, Farmers, Antique Restorers and recommended by the NRA Gunsmithing School, EVAPO-RUST® removes even deep rust on all types of mild steel, iron and chrome platings.
EVAPO-RUST® will remove sacrificial oxide coatings and is perfect for removing weapon finishes such as Bluing, Parkerizing, Zinc Phosphate, and Browning within 30 minutes.
Selective action
Works through selective chelation: it can only remove iron oxide, but is too weak to remove iron from steel because the iron is held much more strongly.
Cheap
Can be used over and over, for several cycles, before final disposal of spent solution according to your local and national regulation concerning waste disposal.
One liter removes up to 60 gr. of pure dry rust.
Safe
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not flammable, not toxic, not corrosive, not eye and skin irritant or sensitizing
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no fumes or bad odors, no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
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no acid, caustic or hazardous substances according to Annex XIV (SVHC), Annex XVII
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biodegradable and 100% water soluble
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will not harm unrusted steel, safe on other metals will not affect plastic, PVC, Viton and most paints
Easy
No special equipment (NOT brushable, unless the end-user will be so patient to continue brushing, until the rust removal process completion; it can take several hours, so it is feasible only for light rust).
Oxidation inhibitor
After rust removal, the treated component can be water-rinsed for painting, plating, or other type of corrosion protective coating.
If left unrinsed, EVAPO-RUST® will dry on the treated surface to a hard, short-term corrosion resistant coating.
As a dry film, EVAPO-RUST® inhibits oxidation indoors up to 14 days, depending on local room-humidity & temperature and metal item shape (the more irregular will be the shape (with high energy points), the shorter the protection will last).
Water-based
Is non-corrosive to steel and does not harm brass, copper, aluminum, gold, lead, titanium, steel, cast iron, chrome, solder points, vinyl, plastic, rubber, silicone, glass, cork or wood.
Anodizing, Cobalt Tungsten Carbide, Powder Coating, Chrome, Nickel, Paint, and most other coatings will not be removed as long as they do not contain oxides.
High carbon steel and tool alloy steel items, when derusted, will have a darker appearance; much of the carbon can be partially removed simply by wiping with a cloth.
It is highly recommended to fully immerse the metal items, because some items not fully immersed for extended periods may experience etching at the water-line.
Gastanks
EVAPO-RUST® is ideal for rust removal inside gastanks because:
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thanks to its selective action, it preserves the whole underlying not-rusted metal, avoiding the corrosion of the underlying not-rusted metal
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thanks to its water-based formula, it reduces hydrogen embrittlement following exposure to hydrogen (eg.: vibrations, resonance, etc.)
It does not need filling the gastank with abrasive material (eg.: screws, bolts, etc.): it will be enough to grant the minimum contact time with rust and EVAPO-RUST® will solubilize the whole rust stopping itself automatically once reached the underlying not-rusted metal layer.
Unlike traditional acid-based rust removers EVAPO-RUST® will not either harm not-rusted metal, or gaskets (eg.: gasoline float valve, etc.) and not-iron metal (eg.: aluminum, chrome platings, etc.).
In case of medium/long term indoor storage, instead of the traditional oil-based dewatering anticorrosive protectives, we recommend the innovative water-based liquid anticorrosive protective RUST-BANDIT®.
The operating procedure suggested to remove rust inside a gastank has been detailed in the Fill Method shown below.
Engine cooling system
EVAPO-RUST® is perfect to remove rust from cooling systems; it will not harm gaskets, aluminum alloys, etc., but it will not remove deposits such as lime, oily deposits, etc..
The operating procedure suggested to remove rust inside a cooling system has been detailed in the Pressure Flushing Method shown below.
Water-mixing ratio
Even if sold ready-to-use with exactly the same formulation and water content as sold by the U.S. manufacturers, EVAPO-RUST® may be further water diluted.
Since 2001, we import EVAPO-RUST® in concentrated form (made in USA) then we mix it with water (made in Italy).
As sold with its original U.S. brand, we are legally obliged to sell EVAPO-RUST® with the exact water-mixing ratio prescribed by the U.S. Manufacturer.
That means granting up to 60 gr. of pure dry rust for each liter of EVAPO-RUST®.
Further water-mixing is not recommended:
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as 1 Lt. of EVAPO-RUST® removes till 60 gr. of pure dry rust, further water-mixing does not increase the total amount of rust removed
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the more you water-mix, the more time it needs to complete the rust removal process
In order to avoid lowering excessively the speed of the rust removal process, do not further water-mix beyond 1:1 ratio (eg.: 1 Lt. EVAPO-RUST® + 1 Lt. water).
Operative Temperature
We recommend to use the solution of EVAPO-RUST® at a bath temperature above 15°C, as the chemistry is endothermic so it requires some ambient heat to work.
In temperatures below 5°C, the reaction is severely retarded.
At 15-20°C it is pleasantly quick, and at 35-50°C it is very active.
In order to speed the process, first always remove oil & greases by using dedicated detergent prior to derusting.
How it works
✔️ Selective chelating action on the oxide to be removed without removing the non oxidized metal substrate
✔️ The selective chelating agent releases the removed oxide, producing a ferric sulphate complex
✔️ Once the removed oxide has been released, the same selective chelating agent starts a new pickling cycle until the non-oxidized substrate is reached which, to be removed, would require a chelating energy higher than the one actually available
EVAPO-RUST® works at a pH of 6.1 to 7 (neutral) through selective chelation: this is a process in which a large synthetic molecule forms a bond with metals and holds them in solution.
Most chelating agents bind many different metals; the active ingredient in EVAPO-RUST® bonds to iron exclusively.
It can remove iron from iron oxide, but is too weak to remove iron from steel because the iron is held much more strongly.
The chelator is too expensive to use large quantities in the finished product.
An organic chemical that easily loses sulfur to form ferric sulfate was added to remove iron from the iron-chelator complex.
This allows the chelator to remove more iron from iron oxide.
The sulfur-bearing compound is much less expensive than the chelator and makes EVAPO-
RUST® economical to use.
Metal Incompatibilities
At moment, there are only n° 2 tested metal incompatibilities::
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magnesium and magnesium alloys (eg.: carter, carburetors, injection pumps, etc.)
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cadmium and cadmium alloys (eg.: cadmium platings, cadmium-based paints, etc.)
High carbon steel and tool alloy steel items, when derusted, will have a darker appearance after using EVAPO-RUST®.
The black is carbon from the steel.
Generally high carbon steel is used in making items that are flexible (e.g. springs, saw blades, etc.).
Much of the carbon can be partially removed simply by wiping with a cloth.
The black film is carbon from the steel.
Steel is composed of a combination of carbon and iron.
This is a natural phenomenon that chemists refer to as carbon migration.
The carbon from the steel moves, or migrates, to the outer layer of the metal and settles into the pores.
The removal of the rust (iron oxide) reduces the proportion of iron to carbon, leaving a higher concentration of carbon on the outer surface.
This heavier layer of carbon could cause a darkening of the metal due to the attributes of the carbon.
The darkening does not have an adverse effect on the metal.
It merely represents the movement of carbon from the interior of the metal to the exterior of the metal.
EVAPO-RUST® is non-corrosive to steel and does not harm brass, copper, aluminum, gold, lead, titanium, steel, cast iron, chrome solder points, vinyl, plastic, rubber, silicone, glass, cork, or wood.
Conversely, anodizing, powder coating, chrome, nickel, paint, and most other coatings will not be removed as long as they do not contain oxides (the precise types of iron oxide and coatings affected are: Maghemite (Fe23+O3), Magnetite (Fe2+Fe23+O4), Wustite (FeO), Iron hydroxide (Fe(OH)2), Iron trihydroxide (bernalite) (Fe(OH)3), Akageneite (ß-Fe3+O(OH,Cl)), Feroxyhite (Fe3+O(OH)), Lepidocrocite (γ-Fe3+O(OH)) and Parkerizing (both types: manganese & zinc)).
Hematite (Fe2O3) and Goethite (α-Fe3+O(OH)) are not affected by EVAPO-RUST®.
EVAPO-RUST® will not harm lead or solder points.
Zinc coatings will be removed by prolonged exposure to EVAPO-RUST®.
There will be no stress change in the metal due to treatment with EVAPO-RUST®.
The only change that will occur will be rust damage that was caused prior to any treatment with EVAPO-RUST®.
Storage
EVAPO-RUST® has an indefinite shelf life and can be used over and over until it absolutely stops working; mainly water is lost to evaporation.
Shelf life is for un-opened product; once opened, the life of the bath will vary due to biodegradability (bacteria introduced into the solution).
After using EVAPO-RUST®, it is better to cover the solution, but still allow air to the bath: pouring the solution back into a sealed container will allow the anaerobic bacteria to begin the degradation process.
Used, open baths have continued to operate for over a 12 months period. The water content in EVAPO-RUST® is the only thing that will evaporate.
If the water content is replaced to bring the content back to the capacity of the original container purchased, EVAPO-RUST® will be revitalized.
It is suggested that when using EVAPO-RUST® mark the top of fluid level in container before use and maintain this level by continual top up with fresh water to circumvent evaporation.
Disposal
The more you derust, the blacker the solution becomes.
EVAPO-RUST® is spent when it is pitch black and no longer performs.
Also the specific gravity will change from 1.04 to 1.08 and pH from 6.1 to 7.2.
Dispose of both the water rinse solution (if necessary), and the spent (or not) solution of EVAPO- RUST® and its container at hazardous or special waste collection point according to your local and national regulation concerning waste disposal.
How to use
✔️ Dip
✔️ Fill
✔️ Ultrasonic
✔️ Spray
✔️ Pressure Flushing
✔️ Wrap
You will use the first 4 methods (Dip/Fill/Ultrasonic/Pressure Flushing) whenever you can submerge the metal items inside a suitable tank or the metal items themselves may work as tank (eg.: gastank); the others (Spray/Wrap) whenever the metal items are too big to be submerged.
Dip Method
PRELIMINARY DEGREASING: first always remove oil & greases by using dedicated detergent/degreaser prior to derusting.
DIP: take a sufficient quantity of EVAPO-RUST® required to fully submerse the rusty object; then submerse it.
The duration for derusting will depend upon the severity of rust: for flash rust removal it takes about 30 minutes and up to 24/48 hours for extremely heavy rust.
Periodically check the object during the derusting process to know the status.
It is highly recommended to fully immerse the metal items, because some items not fully immersed for extended periods may experience etching at the water-line.
If water-mixed the above time interval will increase: the more you water-mix, the more time it needs to complete the rust removal process.
To avoid the rust removal process became too slow, do not further water-mix beyond 1:1 ratio (eg.: 1 Lt. EVAPO-RUST® plus 1 Lt. water).
As 1 Lt. of EVAPO-RUST® removes till 60 gr. of pure dry rust, further water-mixing does not increase the total amount of rust removed.
NOTE: for extremely heavy rust, periodically rinse item with water and/or softly brush item with a scrubbing tool (e.g.: a wire brush): this stage is VERY important in getting the best results because residual rust may still be embedded in the metal (pits, crevices) after the initial soaking.
AFTER-TREATMENT: after treatment, the part can be water rinsed for painting, plating, or other type of corrosion protective coating.
It is important to always rinse the metal after a treatment with EVAPO-RUST®: tiny molecules of iron will still be embedded in the EVAPO-RUST® solution, and these molecules must be rinsed off with water or they will activate the re-formation of rust on the metal object.
If left unrinsed, the fluid will dry on the treated surface to a hard, short-term corrosion resistant coating with no corrosion removal properties.
As a dry film, it inhibits oxidation indoors up to 14 days, depending on local room-humidity & temperature and metal item shape (the more irregular will be the shape (with high energy points), the shorter the protection will last).
For long term (up to 12 months) metal protection use the innovative water-based anticorrosion protective with dewatering properties: RUST-BANDIT®.
Filling method
PRELIMINARY DEGREASING: the same as the previous method.
FILL: take a sufficient quantity of EVAPO-RUST® required to fill (eg.: gastanks) the rusty object; then fill it.
We can divide n° 2 possible different application methods depending on if the whole rusty metal surface inside the items to be treated may be fully seen with naked eyes:
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if the whole rusty metal surface inside the items to be treated may be fully seen with naked eyes (es.: blind threaded holes, etc.): the same as the previous method; or
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if the whole rusty metal surface inside the items to be treated may NOT be fully seen with naked eyes (es.: gastanks, etc.): the operating procedure suggested is the following:
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empty the whole residual fuel, lubricant, etc., and then put the gastank inside a suitable tank wide enough to collect the whole EVAPO-RUST® volume (in case of through-metal rust)
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in case of presence of organic and/or inorganic deposits, first preliminary degreasing with suitable detergent or solvent
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close every valve (refueling tap, gasoline float valve, air vent), and pour EVAPO-RUST® inside the gastank (do NOT dilute):
a. if the gastank is still installed on the chassis, the quantity of EVAPO-RUST® must be sufficient to submerge the whole rusted metal surface inside
b. if the gastank is not installed on the chassis anymore, the quantity of EVAPO-RUST® may be lesser and will depend on both the effective rust quantity to remove, and the number of progressive gastank rotations required to submerge the whole internal rusted metal surface: indeed, the more EVAPO-RUST® you use, the lesser number of consecutive gastank rotations will be needed. It does not need rotating uninterruptedly the gastank; it will be enough granting the sufficient contact time. We suggest a period of 24/48 hours for each consecutive rotation, especially when it is difficult or even impossible to check the rust removal process from the refueling tap (only if EVAPO-RUST® will be not water-mixed, otherwise it may be needed more than 24/48 hours, depending on the effective water-dilution ratio).
In both cases, for extremely heavy rust, periodically (every 6/12 hours) shake energetically the gastank, together with the EVAPO-RUST® solution poured inside: indeed, being the rust structure intrinsically porous, some metal fragments detached from the underlying metal surface, only externally oxidized (and, as such, not fully solubilized thanks to EVAPO-RUST® selective action) may be trapped and still be embedded in the metal (pits, crevices); the points of contact between detached metal fragments and underlying rusted metal asperity will prevent EVAPO-RUST® access and, so that, any rust removal action.
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once finished, you have #3 possible solutions:
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gastank ready to use:
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empty the gastank and water rins
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immediately after water rinsing, in order to avoid flush rust, quickly rinse with Ethanol (Ethanol will be disposed of according to law)
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immediately after Ethanol-rinsing refuel the gastank
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gastank ready for successive metalworking operation (eg.: internal facing) within 10/14 days after rust removal:
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empty the gastank without water-rinsing in order to use EVAPO-RUST® as excellent inter-operational metal protective
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immediately before the following metalworking operation, accurately water-rinse the item
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immediately after water rinsing, in order to avoid flush rust, quickly rinse with Ethanol (Ethanol will be disposed of according to law)
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immediately after Ethanol-rinsing, carry out the following metalworking operation
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long term indoor storage (warehouse, museum, etc.), or further metalworking operation (eg .: resin) beyond 10/14 days after rust removal:
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empty the gastank and water rinse
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immediately after water-rinsing, in order to avoid flush rust, quickly apply on metal still wet the innovative water-based anticorrosion protective with dewatering properties: RUST-BANDIT®
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empty the gastank and allow to air dry
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if necessary, apply again after 6 months
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AFTER-TREATMENT: the same as the previous method.
Ultrasonic method
PRELIMINARY DEGREASING: the same as the previous method
FILL: take a sufficient quantity of EVAPO-RUST® to fill the ultrasonic tank to the required level.
Submerse the component and switch on ultrasonic power.
The duration for derusting will depend upon the severity of rust: for flash rust removal it takes about a minute and about an hour for removal of medium to sever rust.
Basically this is the faster way to remove rust
AFTER-TREATMENT: the same as the previous method
Pressure Flushing method
PRELIMINARY DEGREASING: the same as the previous method.
PRESSURE FLUSHING: we suggest the following operative procedure:
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drain cooling system and rinse with water
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fill system with EVAPO-RUST® (do NOT dilute)
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run engine under normal conditions, shut engine down and let sit overnight 4. drain system into a container for later use
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flush system with water
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repeat process (1-5) if necessary
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fill system with proper coolant/antifreeze
NOTE: whenever it has been flushed inside a pipe, EVAPO-RUST® produces foam in direct proportion to the nominal flow rate: the higher will be the flow rate, the more will be the foam produced.
Conversely, if you lower the nominal flow rate to limit the foam production, you may collect foam escaping out from the air valves once you drop below the critical flow rate, which depends mainly on the diameter of pipe and the roughness of the pipe surface; moreover, the gas bubbles inside the pipe locally prevent the contact between rust Vs. EVAPO-RUST®, preventing rust removal.
Therefore, we suggest the following operating solutions to mediate between such conflicting requirements:
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add a proper anti-foam additive to EVAPO-RUST® (proper refers also to the post- treatment use of the pipe)
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limit the nominal flow rate, even if keeping it higher than the critical flow rate, to seal the air valves, together with getting the fully saturation of the pipe (as the critical flow rates increases with the diameter of the pipe, such solution is suitable only for small diameter pipes)
AFTER-TREATMENT: the same as the previous method.
Spray method
PRELIMINARY DEGREASING: the same as the previous method.
SPRAY: fill the sprayer tank with a sufficient amount of EVAPO-RUST® to continually spray the rusted object.
Collect the runoff in a suitable tank/container.
Continuously spray the rusty object about 30 minutes for flash rust removal and up to 24/48 hours for extremely heavy rust (the rusty object must be always wetted).
If there is light rust on a flat surface area (e.g. appliances, countertops, etc.), then spraying on EVAPO-RUST® solution can work very effectively.
The longer the contact time, the better results.
NOTE: for extremely heavy rust, periodically rinse item with water and/or softly brush item with a scrubbing tool (e.g.: a wire brush): this stage is VERY important in getting the best results because residual rust may still be embedded in the metal (pits, crevices) after the initial soaking.
AFTER TREATMENT: the same as the previous method.
Wrap method
PRELIMINARY DEGREASING: the same as the previous method.
WRAP: take a suitable size of smooth paper towel or a fake chamois or other tightly knit material.
Soak it in EVAPO-RUST® and wrap it over the rusty surface (collecting any percolation liquid in order to avoid any release to the environment).
Cover it properly with a plastic sheet to avoid the evaporation lose of EVAPO-RUST®. Remove everything after the rust is removed.
Duration will depend upon the severity of rust: for flash rust removal it takes about 30 minutes for flash rust, up to 24/48 hours for removal of medium to sever rust.
Periodically check the object during the derusting process to know the status. If desired result is not achieved in one time, repeat one or more times.
AFTER TREATMENT: the same as the previous method.