Organic solutions that corrode metals

Most of the common organic solvents are regarded as noncorrosive, but stainless steel can be attacked by formic, acetic, and propanoic acids.


[Corrosion of stainless steel by organic solvent mixtures, Alice Y. Ku , David H. Freeman, Anal. Chem., 1977, 49 (11), pp 1637–1638
DOI: 10.1021/ac50019a044](http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac50019a044)


Are there some aromatic hydrocarbon that attack stainless steel? Which organic solvents can corrode copper and aluminium?




Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) is an aromatic compound has been used as an etchant in the past. Picral is an ethanol solution of picric acid and could etch steel. Look up www.metallographic.com/etchants/etchants.htm 


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