Can pH levels affect the durability of metal car parts?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the impact of pH balance in car cleaning products, particularly concerning metals like aluminum, steel alloys, and magnesium alloy used in wheels. It highlights that acidic solutions can cause pitting in metals, while basic solutions may lead to mineral buildup. A pH neutral solution is suggested as the optimal choice to minimize metal degradation. The conversation emphasizes that prolonged exposure to extreme pH levels is necessary for these effects to manifest, and that proper rinsing can mitigate potential damage. Ultimately, using a pH neutral cleaner is recommended as a safe approach, especially if it is similarly priced to other products, ensuring minimal risk of harm to the metal surfaces.
Cyrus
Messages
3,237
Reaction score
17
I saw this video on a car cleaning product. In it he talks about the improtance of pH balance and how it effects metals. I'm not a chemist, and it's been a long time since I took undergrad chemistry. You can see he does a little lab experiment with the metals in the various pH cleaning solutions and how it effects the metals - so in a sense the proof is in the data he shows.

The questions are:
- does an acidic solution cause metals to pitting?
- does a basic solution cause mineral buildup?
- is a pH neutral solution optimal to reduce degradation of a metal material.

Keeping in mind this would be applied to wheels, the metals are going to be: aluminum, steel alloys, and magnesium alloy.

​


I know pure magnesium reacts with water violently, so it be tamed in alloy form. I can't imagine a coating being sufficient because if it gets rubbed off or scratched the first time you drive in rain your rims would catch on fire.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Chemistry news on Phys.org
Cyrus said:
The questions are:
- does an acidic solution cause metals to pitting?
- does a basic solution cause mineral buildup?
- is a pH neutral solution optimal to reduce degradation of a metal material.

More or less 3*yes. Details will vary for different metals, but these can serve as a general directions. Note that for pitting and mineral buildup you will need a prolonged use or bath in the cleaning solutions, as long as they are correctly applied and soon wiped out (or rinsed) I don't think you will be able to observe these effects.
 
Thanks Borek! My theory was that even through you will rinse them off, if its safest to use a pH neutral cleaner, then why not hedge my bet in that direction. If you fail to rinse some of it off, yet the cleaner is pH neutral, you don't have anything to worry about. All things being equal, I might as well choose the product that is chemically safest ( Provided it costs roughly the same as any other cleaner out there ).
 
I have no problems with this approach, being on the safe side for no additional cost shouldn't hurt :smile:
 
Thread 'How to make Sodium Chlorate by Electrolysis of salt water?'

Thread 'How to make Sodium Chlorate by Electrolysis of salt water?'

I have a power supply for electrolysis of salt water brine, variable 3v to 6v up to 30 amps. Cathode is stainless steel, anode is carbon rods. Carbon rod surface area 42" sq. the Stainless steel cathode should be 21" sq. Salt is pure 100% salt dissolved into distilled water. I have been making saturated salt wrong. Today I learn saturated salt is, dissolve pure salt into 150°f water cool to 100°f pour into the 2 gallon brine tank. I find conflicting information about brine tank...
View full post »

Thread 'Dissolving silver'

I'm making poor man's nitric acid to refine silver from scrap. I would like to waste as little as possible. I've noticed that about half the acid is destroyed oxidizing the metals, and I'd like to reduce that if possible. One reference mentioned that I lose only one in four in a "dilute solution" instead of half. How dilute must it be to allow the NO2 to disproportionate so that half of it will redissolve and become nitric acid again?
View full post »

Thread 'Ruthenium-Iridium compound with catalytic effects'

Engineers slash iridium use in electrolyzer catalyst by 80%, boosting path to affordable green hydrogen https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/engineers-slash-iridium-use-electrolyzer-catalyst-80-boosting-path-affordable-green Ruthenium is also fairly expensive (a year ago it was about $490/ troy oz, but has nearly doubled in price over the past year, now about $910/ troy oz). I tracks prices of Pt, Pd, Ru, Ir and Ru. Of the 5 metals, rhodium (Rh) is the most expensive. A year ago, Rh and Ir...
View full post »

Similar threads

Chemically regenerating my auto's catalytic converter?
Replies
19
Views
7K
Could New Materials Propel China's Industry to Bill Gates-Level Success?
Replies
4
Views
10K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top