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Thread: Testing for Zinc Coatings

 
  1. #1
    Nobility Member
    spiritbird's Avatar


    Parrots

    Lineated Parakeet named Kobe (M) and (F) named Tango Maine Coon Kitty named Christine

    Testing for Zinc Coatings

    Some of you may not know we have a sub forum for dangerous toys. Its a good idea for us to review it every once in a while. Better yet, add any safety issue you have noticed in the items in and on your birds cage or around the house.

    There are three main problems that can make toys dangerous:

    • Toxicity (poisoning from chemicals or heavy metals in toys)
    • Entanglement / Strangulation (getting body parts stuck in toys, or threads wrapped around the neck)
    • Ingestion (parts can be chewed off toys and swallowed)



    Zinc Testing: http://www.synnovation.com/zinctesting.html

  2. The following 2 users like this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (09-19-2017), Lady (02-06-2016)

  3. #2
    Super Moderator
    Quakerella's Avatar


    Parrots

    8 quaker parakeets, 4 Indian Ringneck parakeets, 3 lovebirds, 5 cockatiels
    I had this video on my computer and I just thought I would add it to this thread.

    Sorry for the quality and shakiness, but I think you will still be able to see the reaction of the acid on the various items. These items are all brand new so the reaction is strictly from the metal.

    The two jump rings and metal disk in the bottom right are stainless steel. The bell and the jump ring next to it are nickel plated. The bolt, eye screw, nut, screw and belt loop were not labeled when purchased. I did this test on a coat hanger piece as well a long time ago, but didn't get a video. It bubbled so intensely I thought it was going to take off like a rocket.

    **If using muriatic acid please ensure you are wearing protective gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves and pants just incase it splashes. Please make sure all your birds are in their cage or in a closed off room. Should a bird land or fall in this solution they will be seriously injured**

    Last edited by Quakerella; 11-25-2016 at 01:09 AM.

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    Casper's 2nd best friend (11-25-2016), Dragonlady2 (11-25-2016), plax (11-25-2016)

  5. #3
    Senior Member
    Casper's 2nd best friend's Avatar


    Parrots

    Casper, a blue fronted Amazon. Loves banana. Hates plastic bags and red coats.
    Handy tip:
    To make sure if metal claiming to be actually is stainless steel use a magnet. High grade stainless is not magnetic like regular steel.
    "A busy beak is a happy beak" - David Strom

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    Dragonlady2 (11-25-2016), plax (11-25-2016), Quakerella (11-25-2016)

  7. #4
    Administrator
    plax's Avatar


    Parrots

    Blue & Gold Macaw "Jack" | Military Macaw "Maynard" - RIP | Hyacinth Macaw "Zaffer" - RIP | Green-wing Macaw "Salsa" | Nanday Conure "Bozley"
    Quote Originally Posted by Casper's 2nd best friend View Post
    Handy tip:
    To make sure if metal claiming to be actually is stainless steel use a magnet. High grade stainless is not magnetic like regular steel.
    Quite true. Also be aware that the standard fasteners obtained from most hardware stores will be zinc plated (or galvanized) steel. In addition to the magnet test, there's a somewhat obvious color difference between a zinc plated surfaces and stainless steel surfaces. It's probably a good idea to visually compare fasteners from both categories a few times in order to become familiar with said color difference at a mere glance. Zinc plating typically has a bluish tint and is noticeably more silver than stainless steel. It almost has a foil-like appearance. Stainless steel has more of a grayish tone, almost with a tinge from the brown scale.
    He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!

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  9. #5
    Super Moderator
    Quakerella's Avatar


    Parrots

    8 quaker parakeets, 4 Indian Ringneck parakeets, 3 lovebirds, 5 cockatiels
    Zinc plating typically has a bluish tint and is noticeably more silver than stainless steel. It almost has a foil-like appearance. Stainless steel has more of a grayish tone, almost with a tinge from the brown scale.
    Very true Tony, I believe this is what confuses some people as to whether an item is nickel plated or zinc. They look very similar.

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    Dragonlady2 (11-25-2016), plax (11-25-2016)

  11. #6
    Administrator
    plax's Avatar


    Parrots

    Blue & Gold Macaw "Jack" | Military Macaw "Maynard" - RIP | Hyacinth Macaw "Zaffer" - RIP | Green-wing Macaw "Salsa" | Nanday Conure "Bozley"
    Quote Originally Posted by Quakerella View Post
    Very true Tony, I believe this is what confuses some people as to whether an item is nickel plated or zinc. They look very similar.
    Indeed. Nickel plating, though, can look very much like stainless steel. Far more so than zinc plating.

    EDIT: I suppose I should have been a bit more specific. Nickel plating doesn't possess the bluish hue of zinc plating. Instead, it has that grayer somewhat brownish look (to me at least). I think that a nickel plated quick-link and a stainless steel quick-link look fairly similar. And that should be a good thing, since they are both relatively bird-safe.
    Last edited by plax; 11-25-2016 at 11:20 PM. Reason: clarification
    He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!

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    Quakerella (11-25-2016)

  13. #7
    Member
    Stephen12's Avatar


    If you are buying bird toys, make sure that their size is appropriate and only use hard plastic toys so that they don't crack or break when they bite on it. Make sure they do not contain PVC.

  14. #8
    Administrator
    plax's Avatar


    Parrots

    Blue & Gold Macaw "Jack" | Military Macaw "Maynard" - RIP | Hyacinth Macaw "Zaffer" - RIP | Green-wing Macaw "Salsa" | Nanday Conure "Bozley"
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen12 View Post
    If you are buying bird toys, make sure that their size is appropriate and only use hard plastic toys so that they don't crack or break when they bite on it. Make sure they do not contain PVC.
    Actually, most hard plastics are prone to fracture and thus to a rendering of shards that, if ingested, may pose internal harm to our feathered friends. Larger, more powerful birds are the most vulnerable to this risk due to the leverage and shearing potential of their beaks. However, rigid PVC is regarded by many as relatively safe for birds because it is resistant to cracking and therefore to shard production. Importantly, it's the manufacturing process for PVC that's toxic, generally not the final rigid product. Conversely, flexible PVC is what should be avoided as far as health and safety, since it contains toxic softener agents.

    http://makeyourownbirdtoys.com/Is-PV...r-My-Bird.html
    He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!

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  16. #9
    Super Moderator
    Quakerella's Avatar


    Parrots

    8 quaker parakeets, 4 Indian Ringneck parakeets, 3 lovebirds, 5 cockatiels
    Agreed, Tony. Flexible or soft PVC can be dangerous for birds.

    I am not fond of giving birds any PVC. The main stabilizer in Rigid PVC used to be lead. I am aware North America no longer uses lead, but not sure of other countries. Unfortunately all my piping here is copper and I do not know if there is a stamp on PVC showing where it was made.

    I would definitely check before using.

  17. The following 2 users like this post:

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  18. #10
    Administrator
    plax's Avatar


    Parrots

    Blue & Gold Macaw "Jack" | Military Macaw "Maynard" - RIP | Hyacinth Macaw "Zaffer" - RIP | Green-wing Macaw "Salsa" | Nanday Conure "Bozley"
    Quote Originally Posted by Quakerella View Post
    Agreed, Tony. Flexible or soft PVC can be dangerous for birds.

    I am not fond of giving birds any PVC. The main stabilizer in Rigid PVC used to be lead. I am aware North America no longer uses lead, but not sure of other countries. Unfortunately all my piping here is copper and I do not know if there is a stamp on PVC showing where it was made.

    I would definitely check before using.
    A valid concern. Supposedly, tin (Sn) instead of lead (Pb) has been used for many years as the heat stabilizer in the rigid PVC pipe (uPVC) manufactured within the United States. I've read that China, India, and perhaps other Asian and European countries may still use lead in their PVC water pipes. And that's important since it could be difficult to confirm where the PVC pipe materials stocked in our local stores may have originated from. Some of the stuff I have around here is clearly stamped with "Made in U.S.A," whereas some is not.

    My impression is that lead molecules are not easily released from the uPVC pipe sections that contain them. Moreover, I doubt that many birds are inclined to ingest PVC materials. But if/when they do so and the PVC they ingest happens to be of the lead-stabilized variety, presumably it would fail to break down in their digestive tracts - PVC is touted to be somewhat chemical resistant. So hopefully no lead molecules would be released. However, because there is no way to know for sure, it remains a frightening thing to consider. Therefore, I agree with you, Rosalyn... the best policy may be to avoid allowing one's birds access to PVC materials. Unfortunately, portions of the water pipes in many homes these days are plumbed with PVC items. And that may be significant because I've read it's the constant contact with water that's most likely to result in a leaching of lead
    He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!

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