How could I cause metal to rust rapidly?

Question

I'm writing a novel set in the mid-nineteenth century. One of my characters needs to cause an iron padlock to rust rapidly, ideally within a matter of hours.

The lock doesn't need to rust away completely - the goal is just to make it noisey and annoying so that it can't be opened in silence.

Is this a realistic goal? If so, what methods could someone use to cause rapid rusting? Bonus points for suggesting period-appropriate materials.

Update: Based on the answer and comments below, it sounds a period appropriate approach would be to mix fine copper filings with saltwater and apply it to the lock.

I've read that bleach is an oxidizing agent which was available in the 19th century. Would adding bleach to this mixture increase the rate of rusting without creating an overly dangerous mixture?

Update: I conducted an experiment in my garage. Iodine worked pretty well. Experiment Video

A few months later the iodine had eaten through the lid of the jar I tested it in:

Answer 1

Here are factors that would speed up rusting:

• Presence of water: make sure that the iron is wet.
• Presence of oxygen: make sure the iron have access to air (the dissolved oxygen in water also works).
• Presence of metal below iron in the metal reactivity series (see the picture below): usually copper is used. Tie copper to iron. Make sure that they are in contact. The larger the surface area of contact the better.
• Temperature: make the iron as warm as possible.
• Presence of salt: explained here. In short, salt increases the conductivity of water which makes the iron rusts faster, since rusting involves electron transfer.
• Acidic environment: since rusting involves hydrogen ions ($\ce{H+}$), an acidic environment would increase the concentration of hydrogen ions, making the iron rust faster. However, this would dissolve the rust.
• Presence of hydrogen peroxide: hydrogen peroxide ($\ce{H2O2}$) is an oxidizing agent which would not dissolve the rust: $$\ce{3H2O2 + 2Fe -> 3H2O + Fe2O3}$$

Metal reactivity series:

_{(source: bbc.co.uk)}

Equation of rusting:

• $\ce{Fe -> Fe^3+ + 3e-}$
• $\ce{O2 + 4H+ + 4e- -> 2H2O}$
• $\ce{2Fe^3+ + 3H2O -> Fe2O3 + 6H+}$

More equations can be found here.

Overall equation:

$$\ce{4Fe + 3O2 ->[H+,H2O] 2Fe2O3}$$

Answer 2

Here's a less-known effect: Iron or steel exposed to iodine vapors will rust within hours.

Also, in a draft-free room, iodine crystals placed well above an iron object will evaporate, creating a descending vapor-plume which rusts everything directly below. Or just use overkill: affix a sack of black iodine powder over the steel to be rusted. (Also, iodine has a distinct odor, so an S. Holmes type might sniff the rust and learn much, while normal humans would never think to try.)

Historical: currently iodine crystals are only sold for treating lifestock, but 170 years ago it was a common photographic chemical (critical in Daguerrotype process,) and also a common antiseptic. Perhaps your local Victorian druggist would have kilos of raw solid iodine to supply the daguerrotype craze, if not just for mixing up some iodine tincture for treating small cuts.

Answer 3

Post isn't clear about the constraints. Does s/he have to keep it in place, or can he remove it (to a workshop, for instance)? Noise is caused by friction. First thing I'd do is make sure there is no grease nor oil in the lock. Solvents such as benzene would wash away most of those, and carbon tetrachloride would probably wash away anything the benzene didn't. If your character can put the lock into a bath of either (or perhaps a combination) and heat it (without blowing himself up - CCl4 isn't flammable, but bz certainly is) that is called degreasing. Even in 1850, vapor degreasing where parts were hung above a heated solvent (and the solvent condensed onto the cooler part and rinsed them) was well known. Note that paint would be removed, as would labels, so it might change the exterior appearance... As far as some process which would rapidly corrode the contact surfaces so that operating the lock became noisy, that is a problem and depends on the lock's design. In general, I'd guess that what you want to do is go from two smooth metal surfaces that slide by each other, to two rough rusted surfaces where there's a lot of friction. First idea that comes to me (if you're not satisfied with a simple solvent cleaning) is salt water and an electrical current. That would really kick the rusting into high gear. And the bigger the battery you use, the faster the rusting. Incidentally, saying that acid dissolves rust is true, but its not a black/white thing. pH 5 is much more aggressive than pH 7, and little rust will be dissolved. Anyway, even if it is, the surface left behind will be rough and MUCH more prone to flash rusting, so a quick acid rinse might also help. Problem is, these treatments only work if the liquid comes in contact with the desired surfaces. That is, the lock probably should be operated (workshop) as it's chemically attacked/cleaned. Its fairly obvious that two surfaces in tight contact won't allow any of these liquids to penetrate. Heating might help, idk. Which brings up just the idea of heating the lock to really high temperatures while exposing it to oxygen gas (even better, I think, would be a little water vapor too). Using a perfume (spray) applicator to both clean and another to apply corrosive would possibly work if the lock can't be moved (and it might be faster even if it can be). I'd not worry too much about the details here, there aren't that many people who would know, one way or the other, whether just solvent cleaning would or would not be enough, (I certainly don't) to make opening the lock noisy, and fewer still whether a quick electrochemical treatment after that would finish the job. Just has to be chemically plausible, and I'd say solvent rinse followed by salt solution and running electricity thru it, would certainly seem plausible to 99.99% of your readers.

Answer 4

You can rust metal quickly but not rapidly the least amount of time is 10 minutes using 2 cups hydrogen peroxide 1 half teaspoon of salt🎓