Romix - 8-8-2015 at 17:32
I wos washing dirty copper electrodes after electrolysis.
After citric acid wash, pink copper stays unoxidised for long time.
But when I wash it in HCl, all of it coats in light blue oxide later when drying, takes day to week to fully coat Cu.
Why?
[Edited on 9-8-2015 by Romix]
[Edited on 9-8-2015 by Romix]
battoussai114 - 8-8-2015 at 17:40
While copper is inert enough to resist the attack of the citric acid, the HCl is attacking the copper and making Copper Chloride (which is probably
blue as most copper salts). This what you're seeing. Copper Oxides are red and black depending on the oxidation state.