Boat Detail Down Under!!!

[WristyManchego]

Hi WristyManchego,

Because I'm not a chemist and never try to play one on this forum, can you share what the letters HC stand for?



I know HF = Hydrofluoric Acid, which is a common ingredient used for chrome wheel cleaners as it dissolves the bond between brake dust and chrome so the brake dust can be rinsed off. But when I type HC or H.C. into Skynet, I don't come up with a common chemical I recognize.

Now HCL stands for Hydrochloric Acid, but that's not the same thing as HC.


If you can, clarify so everyone is on the same page as far as chemicals being talked about.

You’re on the money mike... HC was easier to type than HCl.

In dilution both are very usable substances but I didn’t want people it think it was fine to source HF, slosh it on a rag and wipe it on.

You’d be a whisker away from a heart attack.

I’m also interested in the specific properties that the fluorine has over chlorine for cleaning uncoated aluminium. If Aaryn was recommended it by the supplier, it could simply be the type of acid they produced/used or fluorine has a property specific to the use case.

HF is excellent at etching glass but so is HCl. I know which I’d rather risk using.

[Aaryn NZ]

In your area it's function over form. That particular style apparently is totally suitable for the seas encountered there by serious fisherman. There are many commercial aluminum boats here including some used by the US Coast Guard. Pretty they are not, functional they are.

The public, for their purchases, want pretty and fast. Fuel consumption is secondary. You'll likely see this in Florida with the many boats powered by 3, 4, 5, or even 6 high powered outboards. Horsepower from 700 through 1300 or more is pretty standard for those with the $$$. I couldn't afford to feed one of those beasts for an hour!

Ahh, thank you RTexasF.

I did think that was the reason but also had that line of thought about rough water being rough water.


Aaryn NZ.

[57Rambler]

The main problem with aluminum boats in salt water is galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion occurs when dissimilar metals are brought close together in a conducting liquid (salt water in this case). This is why you see aluminum boats are usually welded, vs. the use of fasteners ... although you can use aluminum rivets, or use insulators when using non-aluminum fasteners. Zinc and magnesium are the two metals that will not cause galvanic corrosion when paired with aluminum, and often zinc anodes are used on aluminum boats to protect them against galvanic corrosion (the zinc "sacrifices" itself and corrodes before the aluminum, thereby protecting it).