CORROSIVE WATERS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3893, 23 April 1937, Page 7

CORROSIVE WATERS

INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. MR SKINNER’S SUCCESS. An experiment of interest to farmers has been conducted by Mr A. W. Skinner. For some years he has concentrated on the problem of protecting galvanised surfaces such as tanks, spouting, etc., against the acidity of local bore waters. After many failures, he has at last found a method of forming a soluble, elastic surface of aluminium which, in his opinion, is an ideal protective against the peculiar corrosive powers of the average water found in bores sunk in the Waipa basin. For a period of eighteen months he has had under observation in his window four cylinders, two of which are filled with a concentrated alkaline solution and two with a similar acid solution. In each of these individual pairs one was coated and the other left in its ordinary state.

A Courier reporter has examined these containers, and finds that the alkaline solution has had la slight effect on the protective coating, but that the acid has, apparently, had nene whatsoever, and it would appear that this is a most efficacious means of combating the continual expenditure of renewing tanks, spouting, etc.

For the benefit of any farmer so troubled with corrosive bore waters Mr Skinner gives here his formula for the preparation of this protective paint, the ingredients of which can be procured from any local merchant or irom. Mr Skinner himself.

The formula is as follows: To one pmt of tung spar (or tung oil) add one ounce of banana oil and one tablespoonful of goldsize. Mix thoroughly, and add sufficient powdered aluminium to bring to the consistency of thin cream. Apply two very light coats of this to the surface requir-hm protection.

Mr Skinner advises us that the cylinders will remain under display, and any interested party is quite at liberty to examine the effect of eighteen months’ continual action.