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Author Topic: Sharpening Items via Electrolysis.  (Read 51 times)

Vesp

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Sharpening Items via Electrolysis.
« on: June 10, 2009, 06:22:02 AM »
When I was begging in chemistry, I attached a large nail to a car battery charger and put it in a salt water solution. It made this dangerous looking thing.

I don't know if this interests any of you, but I thought it might, and since I had my camera hooked up to the computer I figured I'd post the images.


I've searched a bit, and it seems like there are many patents on sharpening items via electrolysis. I'm sure it could get pretty complicated figuring out the best amps, volts, pH, conc. of solution, temp, etc if one were to really get into sharpening with electrolysis. It seems rather stupid to me, but it might have its uses with ultra thin, or very brittle materials.

....Or to make a shiv in prison jk


Edit: Interesting patent.. uses it to sharpen razor blades or knives.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP1075900.html
« Last Edit: June 10, 2009, 06:25:46 AM by Vesp »
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Balkan Bonehead

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Re: Sharpening Items via Electrolysis.
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2010, 05:08:23 AM »
Well, the surface charge density of a charged metallic conductor depends on the surface topology. The density is highest around areas of high curvature, such as points, edges, corners, etc, and zero everywhere inside the conductor, which is a consequence of Gauss' law. It is reasonable to postulate that the rate of electrolysis per unit area at some point is proportional to the charge density at that point, so it would be expected that the edge of something like a knife would be erroded more quickly than the surrounding metal due to the excess charge that accumulates there.
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