It would rust and crusted with chalk and beneath that layer untouched.
People who want to recover old coins such as encrusted roman coins will soak them in distilled water to dissolve the minerals in a pretty short time. The metal usually is not affected.
> I dunno
During WWII Entire tanks drowned in Siberian sumps and were brought back to life with their engines running.
After five years in regular water I bet the wrench would be in working condition.
Re:Why Is Desalination So Difficult?
by renewiltord on Wednesday July 05, 2023 @06:56PM
(#36608364)
What's the process, though? The "dissolving" is presumably rusting and then motion of water washing away the rust, but rust requires an oxygen source for the chemical reaction, and apparently Super Kamiokande has dissolved oxygen specifically removed using a vacuum degasifier to prevent interference and growth of bacteria.
I'm not feeling particularly convinced by this anecdote. It sounds a bit urban legendy. Still, I won't claim more than a high-school knowledge of Chemistry so I'm eager for someone to correct me and supply an explanation.
"Apparently somebody had left a wrench there when they filled it in 1995," he said. "When they drained it in 2000 the wrench had dissolved."
I dunno, I think if you left a wrench soaking in regular water for five years there wouldn't be much left of it after that either.