Effect of fluoride on the amount of aluminium dissolved by boiling fruit acids

Boiling citric and tartaric acids dissolved aluminium from sheets and pans made of this metal. Fluoride increased the amount of aluminium dissolved by both citric and tartaric acids at the sort of concentrations which might be used in normal cookery (0.2%, pH 2.6). Increasing the amount of fluoride increased the amount of dissolved aluminium. The proportional increase was greater at low fluoride levels. Acids varied in their individual effects; tartaric acid dissolved considerably more aluminium than citric acid under any given set of conditions. The longer an acid solution was boiled with aluminium, the more of the metal dissolved. Repeated boiling of aluminium in acid solutions did not necessarily alter its response to further boiling. Old pans were attacked more strongly by acid solutions when fluoride was present. The precise composition of the aluminium metal used did not affect any of these conclusions.