Removing Titanium Anodizing

[razorburn]

So last month,I purchased a large bottle of Whink Rust remover and just used it last night.The thing is it never did work and I'm not sure if the product went bad.There was no violent bubbling or otherwise.The occassional part would fizzy a little but after a few minutes still had the anodization layer on the titanium.

ATM, really puzzled!

 

[Craig James]

This is from my chemistry modules of my degree rather than first hand experience, but any suitable acid should dissolved the ceramic TiO2, hydrochloride, sulphuric, hydroflouric etc.

a quick google tells me the active ingredient in wink is HF so it should work. Are you sure the piece is actually annodised rather than coated? If it is annodised again has it got a clear protectant layer applied?

Edit: HF is really nasty stuff, it really only attacks ceramics and if you get it on your skin you won’t feel it until it starts attacking the bone. The concentrations in Whink may be too low for this sort of damage but using high concentrations at University we always used full PPE including face shield inside a fume cabinet.

I’d still advise caution, and thorough washing of your hands afterwards. Soap will neutralise low concentrations of HF

 

[razorburn]

The titanium piece were anodized by myself in a baking soda solution.I started with mine and then some chinese titanium parts.Absolutely no difference.

 

[dcmartin]

That's really weird! I've been using Wink for the last 5-6 yrs and it's removed ano from Ti every single time. Buy another bottle (from a different location) and see if there's any difference. The good thing is that they are only $3 - $5. You can always use a red / maroon Scotch Brite pad to remove the ano and afterwards dip it in Wink to remove the excess / leftover ano. It does change the finish but a quick dip in the Wink will bring it back to neutral. You can also use a brass wire wheel on a Dremel to lightly strip off old ano and again, dunk it in Wink after. As Craig James stated, use caution because it IS Hydrofluoric Acid. Particularly nasty stuff..... gloves, respirator, eye protection and make sure it gets a clean water dunk after you strip it.

 

[razorburn]

It's really weird stuff.I did use a Dremel Steel wire wheel for ano removal with satisfactory results.The harder regions to reach were the torx head.

I think, I'll pick up a smaller bottle from a different location on the weekend.

 

[ferider]

Want to try something else ? After a tip of another user here, I keep using "Aurora Alumabrite Aluminum Cleaner" (you can find on ebay, among others). Very fast & efficient.

Plus, useful for our Airstream, too.

 

[razorburn]

So an update, last week I chucked a whole bunch of previously anodized parts and some of the Chinese anodized parts into the same whink.After a days soak a few of my previously anodized piece were fully stripped,some gold pieces that had browned were again gold and the chinese ones were all stripped down bare which I found odd.

I also bought a small bottle of whink from the same retailer but from one of their newly opened stores.So it should be new stock.

 

[razorburn]

Just looked at my bottle of Whink.It doesn't have Hydrofluoric Acid like Rustoleum.com states but Phosphoric Acid and D-Gluconic Acid.