I’ve been saltwater etching for a long time and didn’t know all the chemistry behind it. Then I watched Nancy LT Hamilton‘s new video on electro-etching and learned how dangerous the chemical byproducts of saltwater etching can be. As the Reddit article explains:
“Using saltwater as your etching electrolyte can be rather problematic due to competing side reactions. The main one of course being electrolysis of salt, which produces chlorine at the anode and hydrogen at the cathode. So you would have a toxic gas and a highly flammable gas to deal with. The other product of electrolysis of NaCl solution is sodium hydroxide,[my note: lye] which remains in solution.”
I encourage you to read the whole article, here. and to watch the video, here. Hamilton offers alternatives to saltwater that will allow you to etch better and more safely.
And on a lighter note, my neighbor Bob added some beautiful new plants to his garden. I just have to show you more pictures.
Ornamento 
Thanks for the info!
You’re very welcome.
Thanks for this information! I’ve done salt water etching as a ‘safe’ alternative to using ferric chloride and will have to rethink this!
You’re welcome. Me too. Nancy Hamilton discusses alternatives in her video.
The byproducts of saltwater etching and the risk associated with them depends on many factors. This is not a process that needs to be approached without understanding the science behind it. There are ways to do it safely and the information is out there. You just need to be prepared to do some chemistry homework.
Thanks. I am certainly no chemist. Do you have any sources we can consult for the information needed to do it safely? Or are we better off using other methods. Thanks again.