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Chemical Removal of Brass Plating

Is there any chemical way to remove brass plating? I need to reveal the stainless steel underneath.

Thank you.

Cory Allers
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2002

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The old traditional is 90 g/l of NaCN with 15 g/l of NaOH @ room temperature. Make the work anodic and use steel cathodes. Although the handbooks all say 6 volts, start out easy at 2 volts.

Another alternate is ammonium persulphate 75 g/l with 375 ml/l of aqua ammonia ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] at 70-85 deg. F with no current. Many proprietaries are also available.

Charles Reichert CEF-2
- Seattle, Washington
2002

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If the base is stainless steel then the simplest is nitric acid say 20-50% vol or say 10% sulfuric acid with additions of hydrogen peroxide preferably with a stabilizer e.g., phenol, alcohol.

Geoffrey Whitelaw
- Port Melbourne, Australia
2002