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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Plates for Oil Storage Tanks

2002

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing a short story based on my experience during the 70's working as a security guard for a company that built oil storage tanks. At the facility where I worked they prepared steel plates. The most important part of this process seemed to be dipping these plates in one or both of two baths that I assumed was very caustic. Could you tell me what was in these tanks? Would it dissolve human flesh but not gold?

Jerome Tovo
- Newe York, New York

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It is very hard to dissolve gold; probably only aqua regia (nitric acid plus hydrochloric acid) will do it. So if your book claims hot sodium hydroxide (caustic soda ⇦liquid caustic soda in bulk on Amazon [affil link] , lye) as the cleaning material it will be sound and, yes, it can dissolve a human body but not gold.

However, I think most books and novels exaggerate in their portrayal of the speed of dissolution; it would probably take many hours if not many days for anything I can think of to actually dissolve a human being.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2002