What makes iron removing products so expensive?

[Eldorado2k]

Yes. Meguiars just released their own iron remover wheel cleaner. I know adams did the same where it works on paint too. Dub magazine had one. Smells good but is runny

DUB isn’t that runny.

[Bill1234]

DUB isn’t that runny.

Compared to products like iron x, I find it to be very runny

[Eldorado2k]

Compared to products like iron x, I find it to be very runny

Some people think that the more clingy consistency of some other iron decon products can lead to over use because you feel the need to cover every area of the paint, but since it clings it prevents its ability for broader coverage.

I haven’t experienced that myself, but I’ve heard people complain about going through an entire bottle of other iron decon products on just 1 normL sized sedan.

[SWETM]

I think it depends on the concentration of the oxidized iron particals desolveing product. Used a iron remover product from a domestic company and the effectiveness was not great. So just because it's changes colors does not mean it's effective to desolve/break down the oxidized iron particals so it's easy to release. Know I just orded a well known product that is slightly more effective than carpro ironx which is in top of the most effective iron removers.

I wonder just how effective the color changing wheel cleaners are at desolve iron particals. The acid based wheel cleaner are mostly very effective to desolve them. And the oxalic acid based I know need a long time to dwell to work effective. Then you have the concentration of the acid used in them that are also depending on the effectiveness from them.

[Route246]

The active ingredient is thioglycolic acid, the active ingredient in hair perm treatment. It is quite expensive in the form it comes in from chemical suppliers and it is temperature sensitive in pure form so it is perishable in shipping.

From Sigma-Aldrich
Price and Availability
SKU-Pack Size Availability Price (USD) Quantity
T3758-100ML Available to ship on 04/25/18 - FROM 36.90
T3758-500ML Available to ship on 04/25/18 - FROM 73.80

From VWR (Van Water and Rogers) in pure salt form:
Size Packaging Supplier No. VWR Catalog Number Unit Price Quantity
100 g Amber Bottle VWRV0265-100G 97061-322 Each $38.84

From Millipore:
1007000100
Glass bottle 100 ml USD 97.50
Glass bottle 1 l USD 316.00

From Fisher Scientific

Catalog Number Mfr. No. Quantity Price Quantity & Availability
B2039122 100g Each for $23.45
B2039136 500g Each for $39.80
B203910E 2500g Each for $159.80

Not knowing the dilution ratio is the problem. These salts and reagents are in 98% pure concentrated form. Processing a batch for consumer packaging is not cheap, either.

[Bill1234]

So basically if you knew the dilution ration, it would be easier to make cheaper?

[LEDetailing]

The active ingredient is thioglycolic acid, the active ingredient in hair perm treatment. It is quite expensive in the form it comes in from chemical suppliers and it is temperature sensitive in pure form so it is perishable in shipping.

From Sigma-Aldrich
Price and Availability
SKU-Pack Size Availability Price (USD) Quantity
T3758-100ML Available to ship on 04/25/18 - FROM 36.90
T3758-500ML Available to ship on 04/25/18 - FROM 73.80

From VWR (Van Water and Rogers) in pure salt form:
Size Packaging Supplier No. VWR Catalog Number Unit Price Quantity
100 g Amber Bottle VWRV0265-100G 97061-322 Each $38.84

From Millipore:
1007000100
Glass bottle 100 ml USD 97.50
Glass bottle 1 l USD 316.00

From Fisher Scientific

Catalog Number Mfr. No. Quantity Price Quantity & Availability
B2039122 100g Each for $23.45
B2039136 500g Each for $39.80
B203910E 2500g Each for $159.80

Not knowing the dilution ratio is the problem. These salts and reagents are in 98% pure concentrated form. Processing a batch for consumer packaging is not cheap, either.

Thank you for that information. I don’t feel so bad paying $20 for Iron-X now

[howardm4]

Also consider that the mfg.'s are buying by the tanker car, not a couple of hundred mL at a clip. Also, what is the purity? Is it industrial grade or reagent grade? Either of those change the price considerably.

[RMM]

Did you just shoot this guy?

[Marc Hufnagel]

Ive tried a couple of iron removers over the years such as iron x, iron x ls, 3d bdx, iron x gel, griots wheel cleaner, dub, and now meguiars ultimate soon as its in an order-thanks AG.

Ive always been wondering, what makes these products so bleepin expensive? Confuses me alot as other products can be sold in huge gallons or liters for dirt cheap in a sense and then iron products are expensive relative to the rest of the products.

The cheapest ive seen now is car brite which is 16 dollars a gallon but is basically oaxalic acid and water mix.

One could argue that most any detailing product that isn't sold OTC can be considered 'expensive' for the amount you get. Actually even a lot of OTC is expensive. It's not water, it's not something you can ,make yourself so... limited availability to the person that needs it.