Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Can muriatic acid be used to etch zinc intagllio plates?
I am a printmaker and wish to etch at home. As I'm a private individual I'm having a hard time bying hydrochloric acid, which is what we used in college to etch zinc. I don't care for the way nitric acid bites the plates. My questions are: can muriatic acid ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] be used for etching zinc plates?; if so will there be a difference between it and a 7 part water, to 1 part acid solution of pure hydrochloric?; will it bite straight down like hydro, or down and out like nitric?
Richard Claravalprintmaker - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2005
Muriatic acid is Hydrochloric acid but you should consider switching to copper plates for etching and using ferric chloride ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] solution for very fine line quality.
Neil BellRed Sky Plating
Albuquerque, New Mexico
2005
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