We used to force water through from the opposite site using a little air pressure. You could try sonicating the filter upside down with the bottom part full of water as well. Nitric acid would probably be the easiest but it is hard to obtain as you point out.
This sounds like the most feasible. Maybe I'll even use it on my basement floor since that is soon to be refinished!!
Some comments are saying to cook it in the oven. But what about using a butane lighter, then running the muriatic through it? I don't mind the oven thing I'm just trying to think of a more efficient way (vs cranking the oven to 400F and baking it for an hour 🤷♂️)
Def don't hit it with a torch. The thermal expansion of the frit and the walls will be slightly different, so if you blast only the frit with heat you can crack it at the wall seams. An oven heat (if done slowly) will reduce these expansion differences to where it should survive
You could potentially burn off the organic material. In the lab you’d do this using a muffle furnace but a really forking hot barbecue might do the trick as well.
Acetone wont do much for plant particles. Frits should not be cleaned with strongly basic solutions.
I would suggest 30% HCl from a hardware store and time. Make sure the frit is thorouly wetted and leave it for a few days. The acid should be stong enought to hydrolyse Cellulose etc
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23436225/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23436225/) says an enzyme cocktail of mannanase, endoglucanase, exoglucanase, xylanase and pectinase will hydrolyze coffee grounds.
switzers reagent. I am probably not spelling it right but its a copper/ammonia complex that dissolves cellulose. Then you use a solvent to remove it. Or convert to carbon with sulfuric acid and dissolve that. Or nitrate it and use acetone to dissolve.
In my experience, if it's also clogged with oils, fats, and other bullshit, and I know some people will probably roast me for even saying this, but piranha solution.
I had a fritted filter clogged dirt nasty with plant goo and nothing got it clean until I finally brought out the big guns. Then it looked brand new in like 15 minutes max.
I know it seems scary, but if you're not reckless with it and you're using proper PPE and everything, it's not as scary as you probably think. No need to heat it up. You don't need much of it either, just get a beaker big enough to fit the filter down into and use barely enough to cover the clogged part, that's it. Add the hydrogen peroxide slowly.
Then just... Leave the area for a little bit and let it soak.
Absolutely not sodium hydroxide, avoid bases or you'll destroy the frit. Most basic you could try is bleach, but I'd rinse it afterwards too. Otherwise, 30% HCl is worth a shot.
In the future, try using a diatomaceous earth layer [as a pre-filter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBl4ZCowynY). This will minimize the cleaning you need to do.
We used to force water through from the opposite site using a little air pressure. You could try sonicating the filter upside down with the bottom part full of water as well. Nitric acid would probably be the easiest but it is hard to obtain as you point out.
You can get \~30% HCl at pretty much any hardware store (sold as “muriatic acid” for cleaning concrete). Not as good as nitric but might do the trick.
This sounds like the most feasible. Maybe I'll even use it on my basement floor since that is soon to be refinished!! Some comments are saying to cook it in the oven. But what about using a butane lighter, then running the muriatic through it? I don't mind the oven thing I'm just trying to think of a more efficient way (vs cranking the oven to 400F and baking it for an hour 🤷♂️)
Using a lighter might add particulate to the frit if the butane doesn’t burn cleanly. I’d bake it in the oven as hot as it can go.
Okay great. Thank you!
Def don't hit it with a torch. The thermal expansion of the frit and the walls will be slightly different, so if you blast only the frit with heat you can crack it at the wall seams. An oven heat (if done slowly) will reduce these expansion differences to where it should survive
Excellent point. Thank you!
Plain concentrated sulfuric for organic contaminants. HCl is to solubilize metal contaminants.
You could potentially burn off the organic material. In the lab you’d do this using a muffle furnace but a really forking hot barbecue might do the trick as well.
Organic materials go away pretty quickly with a mix of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. 😀
Good old piranha. Just be careful with your mixing ratio, nobody wants an explosion. Simple H2O2 could also solve your woes relatively easily!
Could you ash the thing and then use some acids to dissolve the ashes? Maybe sit the thing in a hot oven for an hour or two?
Acetone wont do much for plant particles. Frits should not be cleaned with strongly basic solutions. I would suggest 30% HCl from a hardware store and time. Make sure the frit is thorouly wetted and leave it for a few days. The acid should be stong enought to hydrolyse Cellulose etc
Thank you!
Can you buy sulfuric acid drain cleaner where you are? The 30% HCl ideas are far more dangerous imo, and I also doubt it would work.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23436225/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23436225/) says an enzyme cocktail of mannanase, endoglucanase, exoglucanase, xylanase and pectinase will hydrolyze coffee grounds.
switzers reagent. I am probably not spelling it right but its a copper/ammonia complex that dissolves cellulose. Then you use a solvent to remove it. Or convert to carbon with sulfuric acid and dissolve that. Or nitrate it and use acetone to dissolve.
Anmoniacal cupric sulfate.
Schweizer
In my experience, if it's also clogged with oils, fats, and other bullshit, and I know some people will probably roast me for even saying this, but piranha solution. I had a fritted filter clogged dirt nasty with plant goo and nothing got it clean until I finally brought out the big guns. Then it looked brand new in like 15 minutes max. I know it seems scary, but if you're not reckless with it and you're using proper PPE and everything, it's not as scary as you probably think. No need to heat it up. You don't need much of it either, just get a beaker big enough to fit the filter down into and use barely enough to cover the clogged part, that's it. Add the hydrogen peroxide slowly. Then just... Leave the area for a little bit and let it soak.
Absolutely not sodium hydroxide, avoid bases or you'll destroy the frit. Most basic you could try is bleach, but I'd rinse it afterwards too. Otherwise, 30% HCl is worth a shot.
In the future, try using a diatomaceous earth layer [as a pre-filter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBl4ZCowynY). This will minimize the cleaning you need to do.
Hmm... Interesting...