ok folks…we are talking about pickle here: ph decreaser…also known
as ph down, ph lowerer is another name for sodium bisulphate.
it is the same thing as sparex #2, minus the clay they (krohn
industries) add for filler… it is far cheaper than sparex, you need
the same amount as sparex ( both are approx 93.5% na2su/sodium
bisulphate… this has been covered, over and over in my tips for
saving money…and in many threads about pickle alternatives to
sparex… the msds 's are the same for ph down ( a brand name)or any
ph lowerers, found in any pool store or home store’s garden, or
swimming pool maintenance sections and sparex #2.
a 5 lb tub is around 15 bucks, a gallon jug is generally around 4-5
bucks, and at the end of summer many retailers like wal-mart, let it
go at half that price…time to stock up for a year!..or spend five
times that on a two pound bag of it from krohn, or any supplier of
jewelry making chemicals…
as far as safety… the same precautions that you would use with any
chemical apply!!!period…:
wear eye protection when mixing, avoid contact with skin and eyes,
don’t drink it, don’t pour it into the sewer, or any disposal of
choice until neutralized. always add acid to water…
it is no more safe than hydrogen peroxide at industrial strength or
glacial acetic acid. or citric acid when concentrated enough to work
for removing flux glass from precious metals…
it is as safe as alum in highly concentrated form, it is as safe as
any chemical you would not drink, get on mucus membranes, or put in
your eyes…it is neutralized on contact with bicarbonate of
soda/baking soda…so keep a big plastic jar of it around for all
neutralizations of the most common chemicals in your studios… ph
lowerer and ph down, (or sodium bisulfate) has absoloutely nothing to
do with sustaining life on the planet earth in the context of jewelry
making!!! it simply, quickly, and effectively pickles gold, silver
and all alloys of the two… except purple gold(aual2) due to the
addition of aluminum, which it will react negatively with causing the
colouration to change on contact, and is not a reversible process…so
buy ph down and save money compared to sparex or jewelry suppliers
middle-man fees…easy…
r. e. rourke