How to Make Metal

Rust

Four Methods:Acid and Copper SolutionVinegar and BleachPeroxide and

SaltVinegar and PeroxideQuestions and Answers

Whether you are doing a science experiment, using

rusted metal in an art piece, or simply want to try
rusting something, causing metal to rust is very
simple with the right solutions. Various methods are
provided here for you to choose from.

1
Acid and Copper Solution
Method

1.

1
Ensure that the metal you are working with will
rust. Only metals containing iron will rust, and some
iron alloys will rust slowly or not at all. Stainless

steel, an alloy of iron and chromium, will be very

difficult to rust. Cast iron or wrought iron will rust
2.

most easily.

Measure some hydrochloric acid into a plastic

bottle. Hydrochloric acid is readily available in low
concentrations at hardware stores, often labeled as
muriatic acid. Handling it carefully, pour about 2
ounces (60 ml) into a sturdy plastic bottle. You
should wear rubber gloves and safety glasses when
doing this.[1]

3.

3
Dissolve a bit of copper in the hydrochloric
acid. Dissolving copper into the acid solution creates
a wash that will speed the rusting process. The best

way to dissolve copper in the acid is to wrap a short

length of copper wire into a coil and submerge it in
the acid for about a week.

When leaving the copper to soak, do not cap

the bottle tightly. The gases produced during the
chemical reaction will cause pressure to build inside
the bottle. Also, make sure to clearly label the bottle
and store it out of reach of children or pets.

Copper coins can be used as well. Make

sure the coin's content is largely copper; for
instance, United States pennies made after 1982 are
only 2.5 percent copper. However, pennies made
before 1982 are 95 percent copper.

4
Dilute the copper and acid solution with
water. After some of the copper has dissolved into
the acid, put on protective gloves and carefully

remove the the copper from the solution. Once you

have taken it out of the solution, you can discard it.
Dilute the acid with water in a ratio of roughly 1 part
acid to 50 parts water. If you used 2 ounces (60 ml)
of hydrochloric acid, you should mix it with about a
gallon (3.8 L) of water.[2]
3

5
Clean your steel or iron thoroughly. The acid and
copper solution will work best when the metal is very
clean. There are commercially available products
designed for cleaning scale or corrosion from metal,
but a wash and rinse with soap and water will
generally be sufficient.

6
Apply the acid solution. Apply a light layer of the
solution to the metal and allow it to air dry. The acid
can be applied with a spray bottle or paint brush,

although the acid will quickly deteriorate any metal

components of the spray bottle. Wear protective
gloves and safety glasses when applying the acid
solution, and work in a well-ventilated area,
5

preferably outdoors.

7
Allow the metal to rust. Within an hour, you should
see noticeable rusting on the metal. You do not need
to wipe or rinse away the acid wash; it will dissipate
naturally. If you desire a heavier layer of rust, apply
another wash of the acid solution.

8
Finished.
Method

Vinegar and Bleach

1.

1
Check to make sure that your metal has no finish
or sealer on it. This method works best on tin or
iron items. Once inspected, mix one part vinegar

with two parts bleach in a large plastic container.

The amount you use should be determined by the
2.

size of the item you are hoping to rust.[3]

Place your metal into the container. Make sure

that it is fully submerged, unless you only want a
section of your metal rusted. Let the metal rest in the
solution for approximately thirty minutes. During this
3.

time, the metal will take on a nice crunchy rust cover.

3
Dry your pieces off with paper towels. You can
also dry them off with regular towels if you dont care
about staining them. As a side note, if you use paper
towels, you will get very cool rusted-looking paper
towels out of the drying process. Dispose of the
vinegar-bleach mixture by pouring it down the drain.
[4]

4.

4
Wait until the items are fully dry before doing
anything with them. You want to make sure that the
item is fully dry before handling them so that you do

not expose your skin to too much bleach. When it

has dried, rub the rust off to whatever degree you
prefer. Some people prefer their rust thick, while
others prefer an eroded look.[5]
5.

5
Use a spray finish to seal the rust onto the
piece. In general, a matte spray sealer works well
when sealing up rust on an item. You can purchase
these sort of sprays at your local home improvement
store.
Method

Peroxide and Salt

1.

1
Select a well-ventilated area to work in. Peroxide
can be dangerous if too much is inhaled at a time.

Choose a piece of metal that is either iron or tin-both will work with this method.
2.

Transfer the peroxide to a spray bottle. The spray

bottle will make it much easier to apply to your metal.
Spray your piece of metal with a sizeable amount of
peroxide. Spraying more peroxide will help to speed
3.

up the rusting process.[6]

3
Sprinkle salt onto the piece of metal. You should
do this while the peroxide is still wet. The rusting
process will begin almost immediately and is actually
easy to see. You can pour on more or less salt
depending on how thick or crusty you want the rust
to be.[7]

4.

4
Let the metal piece air dry. Unlike the bleach and
vinegar method, you should let your metal air dry. If
you wipe of the salt while the peroxide is still wet,

you will disrupt the rusting process and cause your

rust to come out blotchy. Once dry, rub the salt off
5.

and admire your work.

Experiment with this method. While you have just

read about the basic way you can use peroxide and
salt to cause metal to rust, the sky is really the limit
when it comes to this technique. Rub the salt off and
then spray the piece with peroxide again. Try
different amounts of salt or dip your metal into water
once it has dried. The water will give the rust a
smoother texture.

4
Vinegar and Peroxide
Method

1.

1
Protect your work surface, if necessary.

2.

2
Spread out the metal items.

3.

3
Spray the items with hydrogen peroxide.

4.

4
Immediately spray the items with white vinegar.

5.

5
Let the items sit for the rest of the day.

Reader Questions and Answers

Unanswered Questions

What do you have to do if your item has a

finish on it?

Answer this question Flag as bad question

I have some metal grape leaves that have a

protective sealer sprayed or dipped on them,
how do I get rid of the sealer before I try to rust
them?

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Which method should I use if I have an old

car that I want to look or be completely rusted?

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Rust Chemistry:
How Does Rust
Form?

Collect This Project

3.8 based on 118 ratings

By Beth Touchette
Updated on Sep 12, 2013

When you hear the term chemical reaction, you

might think of scientists in white lab coats mixing
dark powders to create explosions. Maybe you think
of the flurry of bubbles you saw when you mixed
baking soda and vinegar in kindergarten. You
probably dont think of your bicycle rusting after you
leaving it out in the rainbut rust is indeed the result
of a chemical reaction!

Download Project
A chemical reaction happens when one or more
different substances is changed into something else.
For instance, when baking soda is combined with
vinegar, carbon dioxide gasa new substanceis
created. In a chemical reaction, our starting

substances are called the reactants; the substances

at the end are called products.
Corrosion is the chemical reaction where metals
break down slowly because of other elements in
their environment.. Rusting, a well known example
of corrosion, is the breakdown of the metal iron. The
reactants of this chemical reaction are iron, water,
and oxygen, and the product is hydrated iron
oxide, better known as rust. Rust, unlike iron, is
crumbly, orange, and pretty much useless for
building things. In this experiment, youll discover
what kind of conditions help rust form or prevent it
from forming at all, and why.

Problem
What substances cause iron to rust?

Materials

4 small containers or jars with lids (make sure

they are completely dry)
Labels or tape

Permanent marker

Tablespoon

Teaspoon

Iron filings, available from

http://www.teachersource.com/product/iron-filings-1pound-package/electricity-magnetism

Bottle of water, ideally distilled (You dont want

microorganisms in the water or traces of salt to
interfere with your experiment)

Calcium chloride (available at pool stores, or you

could use the drying packet that is included in
packages of dried snack seaweed)

Vegetable oil

Ruler

Vinegar

Procedure
Label your containers as follows:
Jar 1

Jar 2

Jar 3

Jar 4

Control (Water and Oxygen)

No Water

No Oxygen Water, Oxygen & Vinegar

Set up Jar 1
1.

Add a tablespoon of iron filings to the bottom of

the jar.

2.

Pour enough water into the jar to completely

cover the iron filings. This jar acts as
yourcontrol because it has all the components we
commonly associate with rust formation.

3.

Do not put on a lid. Knowing that this jar is our

control, why would we want to leave the lid off of the
jar?

Set Up Jar 2
1.

Add a tablespoon of iron filings to the bottom of

the jar.

2.

Add a teaspoon of calcium chloride to the jar.

The purpose of this is to remove all water vapor from
the atmosphere. Whats left?

3.

Make sure to screw the jar lid on tightly.

Set Up Jar 3

1.

Add a tablespoon of iron filings to the bottom of

the jar.

2.

Add enough oil to cover the iron filings with a 1/2

inch layer of oil. What do you think the purpose of
adding oil is?

3.

Carefully pour water into the jar until a one inch

layer is formed. After a couple of seconds, where
does the oil layer go?

4.

Make sure to screw the jar lid on tightly.

Set Up Jar 4
1.

Add a tablespoon of iron filings to the bottom of

the jar.

2.

Add enough water to completely cover the iron

filings.

3.

Add one tablespoon of vinegar.

4.

Do not put on a lid.

5.

Set all your jars in a quiet place and wait until

you see rust in one of your jars.

Results

You are likely to get results in 12-24 hours. The

filings in Jar 1 and Jar 4 will show rust; the filings in
Jar 2 and 3 will not. Jar 4 is likely to have more rust
than Jar 1.

Why?
So how does rust form, exactly? Rust chemistry is
fairly straightforward: when rusting occurs, iron
atoms lose electrons to the oxygen atoms. To get to
the oxygen, however, these electrons need to travel
through water!
Rust appeared on the iron filings in Jar 1 because all
reactants were present: The iron was in the filings,
the oxygen came from the air, and of course, you
added the water. Jar 2 had no water because the
calcium chloride removed moisture from the air.
Because only oxygen and other gasses in our
atmosphere were present in the jar, no rust could be
created. In Jar 3, the layer of oil prevented the
oxygen in the air from meeting up with the water and
iron underneath. Rememberwithout oxygen, we
cant get rust. In Jar 4, the vinegar created a
chemical reaction of its own with the iron filings. This

made it easier for the oxygen in the air to react with

it and create rust.
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