Red Neck metal conditioner?

Left a small amount of fertilizer in a rusty wheel borrow. Noticed the rusty metal turned black. Moved fertilizer to a different location. 24 hours later it too turned black. Did I just discover a cheap redneck metal conditioner that turns rust into Iron Phosphate?

Going to add more fertilizer tomorrow and fill wheel borrow with water.

George

What type of fertilizer? Always experienced fertilizer to be highly corrosive.

I guess urea is an exception to that.

I would be more inclined to think your going to have a bottomless wheelbarrow soon!

Well ya can fill it up with fertilzer and water but, I don"t think it will be a dang bit bigger next week.

Well would you believe if you leave it that way for long you will be replacing the thing because it will be full of holes. Fertilizer if in fact very good at doing the same thing as CACL does to rims just not the same way

I worked in a W.R. Grace plant that made granular fertilizer. The phosphorus content, in most cases, came from phosphoric acid. We also used sulfuric acid as well. So I'd wager that instead of preserving your metal, it'll eventually destroy it.

that is a cheap redneck way to turn a wheelbarrow into a seeder

Buzzman
Isn't phosphoric acid what's in metal conditioner that turns rust into iron phospahte and turns it black?

Yes, it will eat the metal if you don't neutralize and paint over.


George

Rusty, that sounds like what's goin on in DC, wif the national debt! You better stop talkin politicks!

The reason why the fert compartment in the seeder has to be hosed out.. it eats the metal over time. But if you do that and then neutralise it, you may have something. Had a rust removal product from the shop once which did that but said to paint over it.
I think it may have been white though.

Rust removal

Phosphoric acid may be used as a "rust converter", by direct application to rusted iron, steel tools, or surfaces. The phosphoric acid converts reddish-brown iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3 (rust) to black ferric phosphate, FePO4.

"Rust converter" is sometimes a greenish liquid suitable for dipping (in the same sort of acid bath as is used for pickling metal), but it is more often formulated as a gel, commonly called naval jelly. It is sometimes sold under other names, such as "rust remover" or "rust killer". As a thick gel, it may be applied to sloping, vertical, or even overhead surfaces.


After treatment, the black ferric-phosphate coating can be scrubbed off, leaving a fresh metal surface. Multiple applications of phosphoric acid may be required to remove all rust. The black phosphate coating can also be left in place, where it will provide moderate further corrosion resistance (such protection is also provided by the superficially similar Parkerizing and blued electrochemical conversion coating processes).


YES, Phosphoric acid will eat metal if left there.

Are there any chemist who can confirm that fertilizer just might be a cheap red neck metal conditioner?

George

(quoted from post at 18:40:28 10/14/12) Well ya can fill it up with fertilzer and water but, I don"t think it will be a dang bit bigger next week.

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:shock: ... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sad thing is that the debt will be bigger next week. and they make their own bs down there in dc.

Are there any chemist who can confirm that fertilizer just might be a cheap red neck metal conditioner

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I'm certainly not a chemist George, but if your wheel barrow is already rusty, what's the harm in experimenting?
I don't think I'd fill it full of water, that may dilute the acid too much.
Maybe just moisten it good.
Heck, I may try it myself. I've got an old wheel barrow that is on it's last legs!
Let us know what you come up with!