Leaching Zinc

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I think we all know what happens to brass when we leave it in our LemiShine too long. It leaches the zinc and leaves the brass looking more like copper. That's bad for our brass cases that we intend to shoot but maybe it's an advantage for us who use brass to make jackets.

I'm not sure if there's much benefit, but suppose we left some hulls in a concentrated solution for a lengthy periods. Could we make easy true copper jackets out of scrap brass?

Just thinking out loud here. I've got lots of thinking time trying to de-rim 50# of 22lr. :-P

[Hick]

Depends on how long you leave it. The copper shade you get from a little too long in the lemishine is not bad for the brass. The zinc removed is only in the first layer of atoms on the surface-- it does not significantly weaken the brass. I've got some nice pretty pink LC Match brass I've been reloading a long time-- But if you leave it in a long time (as in days) all bets are off.

[JimB..]

Maybe take a spent 45acp case, leave the spent primer, tumble it super shiney, stuff a bullet in it, seal the bullet in with lacquer, nail polish, or super glue, then boil it in citric acid for a few hours or a day. Case will be nice and pink on the outside, pull the bullet and see if it’s pink on the inside.

Or do the same with 50 cases and toss them in a gallon jar by the window, replace the solution and check a case every week for a year.

[Hick]

Maybe take a spent 45acp case, leave the spent primer, tumble it super shiney, stuff a bullet in it, seal the bullet in with lacquer, nail polish, or super glue, then boil it in citric acid for a few hours or a day. Case will be nice and pink on the outside, pull the bullet and see if it’s pink on the inside.

Or do the same with 50 cases and toss them in a gallon jar by the window, replace the solution and check a case every week for a year.

I like it! Very scientific

[JimB..]

OP might find this interesting, apparently canada cares about the dezincification of brass.

https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/dezincification-brass.html