Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Ose90 on 12/12/2008 13:50:35

Title: Which acid can remove car paint?
Post by: Ose90 on 12/12/2008 13:50:35
Hi everyone, I will be delighted if you can provide me with an answer for my question below

Do you know which acid can remove car paint?
Title: Re: Which acid can remove car paint?
Post by: Don_1 on 12/12/2008 16:10:32
Dichloromethane or Dimethyl sulfoxide is the basic ingredient of paint stripper. The acid used in commercial and DIY paint stripper is hexanedioic acid. It's also a food additive, but I wouldn't suggest drinking paint stripper!!!

I should think most other acids (sulphuric, hydrochloric, acetic, formic etc.) would also do the job, but you need to consider the surface you are removing the paint from.
Title: Re: Which acid can remove car paint?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 13/12/2008 09:51:09
The surface will dictate what chemical you use.
Title: Re: Which acid can remove car paint?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 13/12/2008 09:52:47
By the way, isn't formic acid poisonous, even in very minute amounts?
Title: Re: Which acid can remove car paint?
Post by: Don_1 on 13/12/2008 09:58:28
By the way, isn't formic acid poisonous, even in very minute amounts?

Formic acid is present in Bee and Ant stings. It may be in other stings and venoms too, I'm not sure.
Title: Re: Which acid can remove car paint?
Post by: Bored chemist on 13/12/2008 16:59:10
It's not that toxic. The free acid is rather corrosive.
Title: Removing Car Paint
Post by: Andrew K Fletcher on 13/12/2008 19:32:40
phosphoric acid might do the trick. I was sick after drinking far too much rough cider all down my friends car, which just happened to have been recently replayed. So hydrochloric acid may also be a likely candidate.

Brake fluid also works but painting panels after becomes a nightmare as the thin oil impregnates the steel surface, so stick to pain strippers.

Nitromors had problems dealing with some vehicle lacquered surfaces. Be careful if using on fibreglass panels also because the acid can damage them.

Be careful though:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/decorator-killed-by-chemical-fumes-from-paint-stripper-656560.html
Decorator killed by chemical fumes from paint stripper
By Victoria Logan
Saturday, 6 April 2002
A man died and 12 others needed hospital treatment after they inhaled fumes from commercial paint stripper that was being used to renovate a suburban house.