Hard drive destruction

[Vorn]

According to Google, the hard drive platter used in desktops is made of aluminum. Will either of these products effectively destroy the platter beyond forensic recovery:

ARMOUR-Glass Etching Cream
Ferric-Chloride-Etchant solution

Both sold at various art supply stores, Amazon, and so on. The former for etching glass and latter one for metal. Anyone like to venture a guess as to whether either would destroy a Western Digital hard drive platter?

[studiot]

2 minutes ago, Vorn said:

According to Google, the hard drive platter used in desktops is made of aluminum. Will either of these products effectively destroy the platter beyond forensic recovery:

ARMOUR-Glass Etching Cream
Ferric-Chloride-Etchant solution

Both sold at various art supply stores, Amazon, and so on. The former for etching glass and latter one for metal. Anyone like to venture a guess as to whether either would destroy a Western Digital hard drive platter?

I doubt it.

My company used to destroy hard drives for customers and we used to put three hilti nails straight through the whole works, case and all.

No recovery after that and no need to open up the case.

[MigL]

Mechanical drve platters are typically made of aluminum, or glass for 2 1/2 in laptop drive.
The magnetic medium used to coat the platters, and store information, used to be a Cobalt alloy.
I haven't used mechanical drives in the last decade, so I don't really know what current magnetic medium is used.

[Vorn]

On 11/8/2021 at 11:57 AM, studiot said:

I doubt it.

My company used to destroy hard drives for customers and we used to put three hilti nails straight through the whole works, case and all.

No recovery after that and no need to open up the case.

Looks like nitric acid is required to eliminate the film that holds the data: https://www.harddriverecovery.org/hard-drive/repair/destroying-hard-drives-101-the-acid-test/

[StringJunky]

Why not just stand the hard drive on its edge and deform the platter with a hammer?

[John Cuthber]

I found melting the platter with a blowtorch to be very satisfying.

 

Ferric chloride attacks aluminium very vigorously. Be careful of the fumes released. It's probably best done outside.

You might need to scratch through the magnetic layer to let the etchant get to the substrate.

[Doctor Derp]

It has been claimed that hard drive data was recovered.

From HDDs in the world trade centers post 9/11.

As well as HDDs in the space shuttle challenger after its unfortunate incident.

I remember reading news stories published about both of these cases in years passed.

If data is recoverable after those incidents, I wouldn't expect etching cream to have much of an effect.