Any precautiions with Iron X?

Quickstrike32 said:
Damn this has me worried and wanting to trade my Iron X since I'm afraid to use it.
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I still use it. I can't say that I agree with everything that poster posts, but he does have a college-level chemistry background that I do not...and he does have body shop experience.

Additionally, I have had Iron-X turn certain paint slightly "sticky"...which may be a result of the chemical reaction he describes.

Just because it isn't acidic in the bottle doesn't mean it still won't rust metal. The msds for iron-x is a bit misleading. It doesn't actually contain ferrous sulfate. In fact that's actually the byproduct after what's in the bottle takes its course. It's a similar chemical reaction used in an iron limit test in chemistry. I can deduce it from the fact that people complain of its strong smell with the same resultant purple color. And in order to make it pH neutral in the bottle an ammonia buffer is added. All together it may be pH neutral but it is still very corrosive specifically to iron.

DODO JUICE FORUMS • View topic - Carpro Iron-X

This is a good discussion on the complicated chemistry behind those iron sprays.

It may be a subtle and long term but my approach has always been to use the most gentle method that gets the job done, it's the basis for my philosophy on why excessive compounding is bad for paint too since paint is thin. No need to break out such active chemicals if only a light decontamination is used. Considering on my cars I would never need that level of heavy iron decontamination in the first place, and I still have worries about the long term effects of essentially dissolving a layer of the metal, if that stuff gets into the pores of the paint it essentially undercuts the paint on top of oxidizing it. When metals oxidize they also tend to expand significantly, the undercutting of the metal and subsequent expansion of the steel would, in my opinion have a negative effect on the adhesion of the paint to metal.

I have no current use for iron sprays because my cars get clayed and polished every year and regularly waxed. Perhaps if I were still running a business and needed it for very heavy decontamination and for speeding up production I'd use it. But as of now it's still too big a gun for me to need or want to use for my cars. It's like compounding, use only when absolutely necessary.

Maybe on heavily contaminated wheels I'd break out either the acid cleaners or Iron-X if I had it. But my own vehicles, they'll never see it because their finishes are always maintained.
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Wheel coating spray? | Detail and Wax | Bob Is The Oil Guy
 
^ hypothetical nonsense. Show me a car whose paint cracked from IronX or whose wheels cracked from Sonax FE & I'll believe it.

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet.
 
CDot said:
I can verify this; used it on my '01 Altima DD a couple months back and it did a little number on my headlights and my plastic wheel covers (a little overspray got on them). I have to sand/polish the headlights to clear them up now.

05RLS2: If the run-off gets on your headlights, be sure to wipe off quickly. You could always tape them off as well.
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Did you use IronX or TarX?

It makes me little nervous about using this stuff now, but I need something to get rid of the rail dust. Cay isn't going to cut it unless I use something more aggressive, and I am not polishing a new car out that doesn't need correction to it.

If may just have to tape the lights off with plastic. What if kept the lights wet the entire time, would that be enough to dillute IronX where it wouldn't cause any harm?

I have no doubt IronX works well on paint, it just worries me that it may harm my headlights or chrome trim.
 
05RLS2 said:
Did you use IronX or TarX?

It makes me little nervous about using this stuff now, but I need something to get rid of the rail dust. Cay isn't going to cut it unless I use something more aggressive, and I am not polishing a new car out that doesn't need correction to it.

If may just have to tape the lights off with plastic. What if kept the lights wet the entire time, would that be enough to dillute IronX where it wouldn't cause any harm?

I have no doubt IronX works well on paint, it just worries me that it may harm my headlights or chrome trim.
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I used Iron-X. Don't let what I said worry you! I can't comment on chrome, but my issue was due to user error (which I should have stated clearly). I let the Iron-X sit on the headlights for a while--I wasn't paying attention to the overspray--and that's why they got clouded. I basically let it dry on the headlights.

It's a great product though, I clayed the car (with nanoskin sponge fine) in 5 min after I rinsed off.
 
Frankly, the information being quoted is why amateurs should keep their noses out of this sort of thing!

There is talk of ferrous sulphate - who ever said this existed in Iron-X? I have never seen an MSDS noting it, which is what one post claimed.

There is talk of the active ingredient being a weak acid and then discussion of how this is important - the active ingredient is NOT a weak acid so the whole discussion is moot.

There is discussion of another one of the ingredients... it is nothing more than a surfactant, otherwise known as SLES and found in every other chemical you would look at!

There is talk of hydrogen and embrittlement... almost the most ridiculous of the lot! They are hydrogen ions! pH neutral water has these in numbers beyond count - so what the frig are we doing suggesting that a handful more will cause hydrogen embrittlement (as a former CERN worker, the application of this term makes me feel like crying in despair).

The chemistry behind these products (they are all working on the same chemistry, inspite of apparent differences in composition) is damned simple and quite safe. It is telling that most of the incorrect information is being spread specifically on detailing forums and it makes me question the point of trying to educate the community. After all, I could just make it up and make it sound good to sell my products and people would probably believe it.
 
^ good common sense here. Of course if you don't use anything right (like letting IronX bake dry on your paint/headlights) - it could jack something up.

Do people think the people at CarPro are a bunch of liars selling stuff that will mess up your car? I like how they will believe some on "Bob the Oil Guy" - but won't believe CarPro's copy.

If you just use the correct product as directed none of this matters.

There is really one precaution win IronX - don't let it dry on your car. That's pretty much it.
 
PiPUK said:
Frankly, the information being quoted is why amateurs should keep their noses out of this sort of thing!



There is talk of ferrous sulphate - who ever said this existed in Iron-X? I have never seen an MSDS noting it, which is what one post claimed.



There is talk of the active ingredient being a weak acid and then discussion of how this is important - the active ingredient is NOT a weak acid so the whole discussion is moot.



There is discussion of another one of the ingredients... it is nothing more than a surfactant, otherwise known as SLES and found in every other chemical you would look at!



There is talk of hydrogen and embrittlement... almost the most ridiculous of the lot! They are hydrogen ions! pH neutral water has these in numbers beyond count - so what the frig are we doing suggesting that a handful more will cause hydrogen embrittlement (as a former CERN worker, the application of this term makes me feel like crying in despair).



The chemistry behind these products (they are all working on the same chemistry, inspite of apparent differences in composition) is damned simple and quite safe. It is telling that most of the incorrect information is being spread specifically on detailing forums and it makes me question the point of trying to educate the community. After all, I could just make it up and make it sound good to sell my products and people would probably believe it.
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Thanks for clarifying.
 
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