Any Process Chemists/Engineers in here?

looking to find out the effects of Methyl isobutyl ketone on chrome plating that is flaking off, ie will it become soluble?. OEM has advised coating is ‘Hard chromed gal Cr 50gl’.

Long shot, but ta!

Professers Snape’s Potions homework is getting more difficult every week.

There are some quite clever scientists on UK Climbing who might know the answer. Our own lab boffin here doesn’t know.

It’s definitely **** black magic perchy boy!

There are some quite clever scientists on UK Climbing who might know the answer. Our own lab boffin here doesn’t know.

Was just looking for a resource, I do this fairly often with the likes of gasket, O ring materials, to ensure compliance, but not really turned anything up with chrome as yet….

Not much use, but it is used in metal extraction/purification, but I dont know the process.

Im guessing your question relates to whether a coating that uses mibk as a solvent is attacking the chrome underneath?

“Hard chromed” just means it was done for an industrial finish rather than aesthetics. Typically much thicker and harder, and then ground back to the desired thickness on the bearing surfaces.

I read it as the chrome is already flaking and the poster would like to know if the flakes are soluble in the MIBK.

Anyhoo, I consulted our book of chemicals, which is frankly ancient, and got this as the common reactivity fo MIBK.

“Chemical Reactivity – Reactivity with Water: No reaction; Reactivity with Common Materials: No
reaction; Stability During Transpotf: Stable; Neutralizing Agents for Acids and Caustics: Not pertinent; Polymerization: Not pertinent; Inhibitor of Polymerization: Not pertinent.”

So I would say the chrome is unlikely to be soluble. Although advice on the internet is worth exactly what you pay for it.

Tinas, almost, the chrome has flaked off the parent metal, into product. Trying to find out if it stays in particle form, or dissolves.

I know that in reality it doesn’t dissolve (machine is 30 years old!), but I need something to reference to.

Paging LD, paging LD.

Hmmm, I suspect the easier and more conclusive way would be get a sample tested for the presence of chrome (and other metals) in the solution/product?

I would suspect that unless it’s completely dry then you could find traces of chrome in the water at the bottom of the tank, and then traces of that water end up in the MIBK.

OR……

Even if chrome isn’t directly soluble in MIBK, then chrome compounds probably are, or the MBIK is able to absorb the chrome ions from an aqueous solution.

So……

Even if you find a reference that says it’s safe to store in chromed tanks (should be, chrome is an alloy in most steels so even a steel tank would have issues), I bet over 30 years you could find traces of chrome in the product. The question then becomes, is that a problem and at what level. Which at least you can monitor.

Err did my post above get missed, fwiw my degree says “Chemical & Process Engineering” 😉

Err did my post above get missed, fwiw my degree says “Chemical & Process Engineering” 😉

Pffft, mine says Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, two degrees for the price of one (and a stupid idea, we ended up doing all the core modules of both, but often only got 10 credits for doing a 20 credit module).

Metallic chromium is very unlikely to be soluble in MIBK.Things like MIBK are used in metal processing to extract target elements selectively from solution but that requires preliminary (and usually aggressive) treatment to get them into solution. However, your problem is going to be finding something you can reference which is applicable to 30 year old chrome plating.

If you are going to get some of the MIBK analysed for chromium make sure that all particulate is removed (centrifuge and filter). Otherwise your analyst will tell you there’s loads of chromium in there, but that’s because there are lumps of it in the sample.

Background in chemistry and chemical processing, mainly nuclear

Thanks all, much appreciated.

Has the plating flaked due to mechanical issues?

Machine is 30 years old, I’m guessing it’s just erosion over the surface, and the plating coming to the end of life.

Whats the mibk for?

Loads of places have an icp that will give a definitive answer.

My gut says less than 50ppm

I’m with dpfr on this. I can’t see the chrome plating being soluble in MIBK. Generally a metal wouldn’t be soluble in very much.

I’d agree with you on end of life. MIBK is used a strong solvent/ cleaner in the coatings world so it might be exacerbating any weakness between the chrome and the underlying substrate metal.

Not my specialty sadly Matt. I just make basic building blocks!

MiBK is used for separation saccades.