Citranox for brass cleaning A+

[ontargetagain]

Have been using Franklin Arsenal brass cleaner at about 2 1/2 oz to 80 or so ounces of water in my ultrasonic cleaner which has a heater. Results have been so so in my opinion.

A little research on brass cleaners pointed me to a product called Citranox made by Alconox chemical company along with an article by a chemist who is a reloader too. Article gave me confidence to order some and use it at a 75:1 mix so I did 1oz to 80oz of water, Wow! This stuff is great, low to no odor. Amazon had it for about $24 aa qt or $53 a gallon.

Here is the link to the article, some good tips using ultrasonic cleaners too:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/ultrasonic-cartridge-cleaning-tips/
This will be my new go to and should also work great as a simple wash solution for a large quantity pre rinse.
Karl

 

[rsrocket1]

Go to Walmart or whatever general store and buy a container of Lemi Shine

It is also a citric acid based detergent. I've also heard that a fraction of a teaspoon (I don't recall exactly how much) of pure citric acid crystals will also work if you have it handy.

Citric acid does clean off a lot of stuff like vinegar, but unlike vinegar, it doesn't leech away at the zinc and leave a pink tone on the brass. Citric acid actually passivates the brass, keeps it shiny longer and helps resist atmospheric and handling oxidation.

$35 for 100 gallons of mixed solution is a pretty good price but $4 for a container of Lemi Shine is a little less painful.

 

[Rule3]

Not to burst you guys cleaning bubble but if you want to pay more to clean that is your choice.

You can buy pure citric acid here for a lot less, free shipping

https://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=citric

citranox has some other acids and ingredients in it but probably does nothing more than citric acid. Lemi Shine is a big rip off for what you get.

https://www.alconox.com/Resources/StandardDocuments/MSDS/msds_citranox_english_ghs.pdf

PS, Vinegar does not leach zinc from brass any more or less than any other acid. It is a internet tale,

 

[DWalt]

I buy bulk citric acid off ebay. Lemi-Shine is simply citric acid with an anti-caking agent, as citric acid tends to clump without it. My wife always adds a tablespoon of CA to the dishwasher to prevent water spotting of dishes and glassware. We go through several pounds per year. Citric acid is good as it does not attack the brass. You can let your brass soak overnight in a CA solution and it won't damage the brass. I used CA solution last night to soak heavy corrosion off a group of brass electrical terminals. They came out bright and shiny.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I buy critic acid at Walmart, in the canning section. It's 2-3 bucks for enough to clean hundreds maybe thousands of pcs of brass.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[rsrocket1]

Watch out. Citric Acid does remove paint on some commemorative mugs. I lost the logo from a China Lake Naval Weapons Test Center mug and my wife's University of Nevada Wolf Pack mug came out pure white after a Lemi Shine wash in the dishwasher.

 

[Hoov]

Simple Green is pretty cheap.