Useing Stainless steel electrodes produces chromates

[Jebus]

Many people using the electrolysis method for rust reduction swear by stainless steel, stating (incorrectly) that it's not consumed, stays clean and seems safe. Stainless steel is indeed consumed when used in the electrolysis process, although slowly. The main problem with using it is the hazardous waste it produces. Stainless steel contains chromium. The electrodes, and thus the chromium is consumed, and you end up with poisonous chromates in your electrolyte. Dumping these on the ground or down the drain is illegal. The compounds can cause severe skin problems and ultimately, cancer. Hexavalent chromate is poisonous. These compounds are not excused from hazardous waste regulations where household wastes are. These compounds are bad enough that government regulations mandate "elimination of hexavalent chromate by 2007 for corrosion protection.

Read this somewhere and was hoping that this wasnt true, any ideas?

[kevinsatterfield]

It is also illeagle to dump anything else on the ground that an automobile uses like used motor oil,anything like that is poisious.....really kinda a common sense thing, although i do understand there has been a drought with common sence among people, i would suggest not worring so much about it,its in a class with antifreeze and other things so cheer up.Think about the oil changes you will save the world.....

[Jebus]

The point is that it doesnt matter WHERE you dump it, your still producing lots of waste. It seems to me that would totally defeat the perpose of buring the hydrogen instead of the oil. Maybe the best alternative would be to use some other material. Only thing I know of is carbon, and platnum, which are both realistically unusable.

[kevinsatterfield]

where thinking of something diffrent that you would prosume useable for some annodes and cathodes?

[AbbaRue]

The way I would look at this is, that stainless steel is by far the best product to use in these systems. The small amount of chromium being released is by far less toxic then the byproducts of burning fossel fuels.
All this article tells me is that down the road if large numbers of consumers are using stainless steel electrolyzers, the electrolite should be taken to a hazardous waiste dispossal plant, for proper dispossal. In normal use the chromium shouldn't be a problem.
Also for consideration is, that chomium is an important and vital mineral suppliment for the human body. 50-200 micrograms per day of chromium is found to help insulin production and prevent cancer. So we should keep this in mind.
Also the amount of chromium you would be exposed to from an electrolyzer would be far less then the amound we are subject to every day eating and cooking with stainless steel utensils.
Just wanted to keep things in prospective. I take chromium as a suppliment myself, and I'm in very good health.

[chemelec]

Darn near anything dumped into the ground produces some kind of contamination.

Mainly because it wasn't in that particular area to begin with.
Dumping water onto Dry Ground is in fact a Contamant.
"Not that its likely to hurt anything".

But on the other hand, Chromium and most of its compounds came from the ground in the first place.

So whats the point?

By far the greatest contamination on this world is People.
If it were not for such a "large Over population", the energy problem would not be a problem.

Cooking Tomatoes or Rhubarb (High Acid Contents) in a Stainless Steel pot will also Leach out the chromium. UMMM GOOD.

[Jebus]

thanks for the replies, that gives me a better perspective

[Navi00]

Yep, it quite obviously out weighs the negative aspects of burning hydrocarbons. Most all actions have negative repercussions, the trick is to keep them lower then the positive, and this solution is far more positive, Jebus =D.