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Safety aspects of a fun experiment

 

I came upon this site by accident, and it reminded me of an experiment I did on my own when I was about 10 years old (That was about 28 years ago). It is an electroplating process using a penny as an anode, in a solution of vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and salt as an electrolyte, and a steel or nickel cathode as the target. At the time, I used a 1.5 V battery as the power source. It was great fun 28 years ago, and I recently enjoyed doing it again, with a home made DC power supply, monitoring the process with an ammeter (for repeatability.)

I have been able to get very good results plating quarters this way. The plating is bright and very adherent. My question regards safety. I have read all the admonitions about the dangerous byproducts of the electroplating process. I want to share this fascinating process with my girlfriend's son (who is 12). As you know, the advise "don't try this at home" does not work for a 12 year old. I'm an auto mechanic, not a chemist... How hazardous is the spent electrolyte from the process I described?

By the way, the kid already knows how to shoot a potato gun and build a smoke bomb with potassium nitrate and sugar, and his mom was not impressed. I'm trying to groom this kid to become an engineer, but I don't want him to be working with hazardous materials in her kitchen, too. ;-) Mike

Michael Lybarger
- Black Earth, WI

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The effluent is vinegar with a very small amount of copper dissolved in it--no more than would come from the cleaning of a copper bottomed pot in any other kitchen, and way less than would come from the application of even a teaspoon of root killer. It's pretty innocuous as long as nobody drinks it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey