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New Etching Solution

 

New Etching Solution

Filed in homebrew on Jun.20, 2010

When I started working on my matching network for the 43′ vertical, I needed some mounting plates made from fiberglass (high voltage resistant…)  I had read in the QRP-tech yahoo pages that you could use a combination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Muriatic Acid to do the etching.  I had use Ferric Chloride before, and found it to be messy, and somewhat of an environmental hazard.  You really don’t want to pour that stuff out just anywhere…

So I mixed 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup of muriatic acid (like you use in your pool).  I put the copper plated fiberglass into the solution and gently scrubbed it with an old toothbrush.  It only took about 5 minutes for all of the copper to dissolve.


 

The result was a nice clean piece of fiberglass, and some easily neutralized (with baking soda) etching solution that was safe to dispose of.


 Migrated Comments:

2 Responses to “New Etching Solution”

  1. Sean O'Connor Says:
    March 21st, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    You can use mono-sodium glutamate (from the supermarket or where ever) with hydrogen peroxide as an etching solution. There is no need to have hydrochloric acid or FeCl3 in your house.


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