Swimming pool chemicals and rust???
G'day all,
I've got a small garden shed which sits on a concrete block without any sealing around the walls - when it rains the floor in the shed gets wet, and seems to take ages to dry out. Inside the shed I've got a bunch of swimming pool chemicals, eg. chlorine, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, soda ash, etc. Also in the shed are a bunch of garden tools, all going rusty much faster than normal.
Can anyone tell me if the faster rusting is due to the moisture issue with the shed or the presence of pool chemicals (and is there any one more likely to be a problem with rust)?
Appreciate any advice.
Adam
A message from your friendly neighbourhood scientist
Sodium carbonate is Na2CO3, is used in cooking and washing situations. The safety warning is the chemical company covering it's butt. We buy in pure water for some tests that we do and you should read the safety warnings on the bottles.
Hydrochloric acid produces vapours which will cause rust. Have some in a cupboard here in the lab at work and it has almost destroyed the hinges.
So you have: strong acids - hydrochloric and phosphoric, strong bases - sodium carbonate and the concrete contains lime, plus moisture. These are all perfect for rust generation.