dissolving coke can question

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From: Science Classroom (stf-lmorton@vom.com)
Date: Thu Jan 15 2004 - 06:48:57 PST 

Message-ID: <4006A859.8070200@vom.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 06:48:57 -0800
From: Science Classroom <stf-lmorton@vom.com>
Subject: dissolving coke can question

The other day someone wrote a brief procedure for dissolving the
aluminum can away from the inner plastic line of a soda can. At least
that is what my interpretation of the description that was posted.

I have a couple of questions:
    In the procedure, the author said to open the can, pour out the
soda, replace it with water, then submerge the can into the lye
solution. My question is: Why pour out the soda? Why not just leave it
in there with the can still sealed? Were the inner liner to burst I
could see how the acid in the soda might partially neutralize the lye,
but other than that........

    Can one of you chemistry types tell me what the chemical reaction is
between the NaOH and the aluminum can?

    Is this experiment kind of like the acid dissolving the egg shell
away from the raw egg experiment, but at the other end of the pH scale?

    Any practical applications for this new found knowledge?

My daughter and I plan to try this with different brands of soda, and
some cans having the paint removed and others not, maybe even a can or
two that is only half way stripped of its paint.

Anything else I should know?

Thanks,
Lou Morton
St. Francis Solano School
Sonoma

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