Molasses

J

John C.

Member
Has anyone here used the molasses method for rust removal? I talked with a man at Hillsville Va. flea market who said he used a molasses and water mixture for rust removal.I think he said 1 part molasses to 4 or 5 parts water.Can't remember for sure.Said it worked really well.Just mixed it up like a lye bath.
 
Liquid form (animal feed supplement) is typically what's used. Not sure if the dry (soil amendment) could be substituted. Dry molasses is actually a dry meal onto which liquid molasses has been sprayed. Even if it can be used, unless you have another use for it, I understand storage of the dry can be problematic.
 
Is this mixture like the lye - after the pans are done, can I add new pans or do I have to start over with new molasses...
 
My guess would be limited re-use. The process apparently ultimately results in the formation of an acid, plus I would think whatever biological goings-on would eventually run their course.

My impression is that this type of rust removal is more attractive for things like automotive parts with cavities and shapes that don't lend themselves well to the line-of-sight necessary for electrolysis, and also for its labor un-intensiveness.
 
I have been reading that molassas will eat the iron if left in contact too long. I don't like the thought of that happening. If too long in the molassas it bad then less time is still bad, just not as bad. I don't think I would use molasses and feel the same way about vinegar.
 
I was very skeptical at first about the molasses as I did not want to ruin any cast iron. I had a Yankee bowl that was very rusty and decided to take a chance. I put in Monday and took it out today - the rust is gone and it looks great. I have several more pieces in the molasses right now but I am watching them carefully. When I remove from the molasses, I thoroughly scrub and wash and rinse - then dry.
 
If I am thinking of the same discussion Steve is, the response was that it was not good metal being softened and eroded by the molasses, but rather that the molasses had removed rust to reveal damage the rust had already caused.
 
It would be easy to tell if the molassas was eating the iron. Take a junk piece of cast iron and submerge halfway into the molassas and leave there for a day, a week, a month and see what happens. Could be that it's ok.
 
Doug D. said:
My guess would be limited re-use. The process apparently ultimately results in the formation of an acid, plus I would think whatever biological goings-on would eventually run their course.

My impression is that this type of rust removal is more attractive for things like automotive parts with cavities and shapes that don't lend themselves well to the line-of-sight necessary for electrolysis, and also for its labor un-intensiveness.
Click to expand...

I think Doug is on the right track here. Acid is a by-product of bacterial metabolism.

Molasses seems quite safe and effective at first, but a bath several weeks old would be acidic. I have seen the mild metal damage caused by old molasses, and it is quite similar to the soft iron effect of vinegar and other acids, almost certainly because it IS acid damage, from the acid that accumulates in old molasses.
 
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