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Petroleum vs Aqueous Parts Washing Fluid and RUST!

Here's something interesting.

I have a Graymills 800-A parts washer.

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It is supposed to be used with a petroleum based solvent. I would, naturally, prefer to use a water base solvent.

If I can use water instead of Petroleum, I can save a huge amount of money, EPA hassles, disposal fees, actual headaches from fumes, etc. So, I am very interested in finding a solution!

I called Graymills company today and asked them, what would happen if I put water with Simple Green in this parts cleaner.

The guy said, it will work just fine, it will clean, and the pump will pump, but it will start rusting.

So, now I am thinking about preventing rust.

1) Can I add some kind of rust inhibitor to the water/Simple green solution?

2) Can I, perhaps, fashion some zinc anode or something, like they do on outboard motors for boats?

Any other ideas?

thanks!

i
Reply to
Ignoramus27349
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Zep makes an anti-rust product #1049. I use it in the water table for my CNC plasma cutting. 8oz per gal of water, or 1 gal per 500gal tank capacity per the label. It comes in 5gal and 55gal sizes only BTW. I don't know about it's compatibility with cleaners.

Reply to
Pete C.

Pete, where do you get this product?

i
Reply to
Ignoramus27349

I run Simple Green in my parts washers. Do they rust? Yep, they are made of steel!. Does the Simple green seem to hasten the rust. Nope. If you have a good coat of paint inside it helps but the best thing I have done so far was to drain, clean and blast the interior of the tank, then spray it with truck bed liner. Makes it VERY tough and stops the damage in the tank. The next item is to keep the solvent clean. I do that with a pair of filters. First stage is a filter on the intake to keep the big crud out of the pump. I use a custom made bracket with a small engine air filter on it. Then the solvent goes through the pump and out through a filter adapter that holds a Ford oil filter. (PH-8 or similar) Then out of the filter to a bulkhead fitting and into the hose to the brush.

Reply to
Steve W.

A protective coating for ferrous surfaces where safety, low-odor, short-term protection and paintability are important. Leaves no visible residue. Will not interfere with subsequent painting of treated surfaces.

Sounds good. MSDS says 10-20% by weight triethanolamine and

Zep makes an anti-rust product #1049. I use it in the water table for my CNC plasma cutting. 8oz per gal of water, or 1 gal per 500gal tank capacity per the label. It comes in 5gal and 55gal sizes only BTW. I don't know about it's compatibility with cleaners.

Reply to
Carl Ijames

I bought it directly from Zep. I picked it up at a Zep plant/warehouse a bit south of Dallas (Desoto) to save the shipping cost as well. I originally tried to have my local Home Depot order it since they carry Zep products, but it seems the division of Zep they deal with doesn't make the Anti-rust product.

Reply to
Pete C.

The Line-X truck bed coating is particularly nice. I hear the Line-X folks get to go out in the field to spray a lot of oil field equipment around here.

Reply to
Pete C.

sodium nitrite is used in plasma cutter water tanks to prevent rust. It is readily available for a low cost. Seen regularly on eBay for example.

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

IIRC TEA is the main ingredient in quite a few of the "synthetic" water soluble metalworking fluids particularilt those targeted for cutting aluminum.

Reply to
PrecisionmachinisT

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