[TheForge] acid

[Bruce Freeman]

Dan,

Review "The Chemists Companion" or some other such
text if you haven't worked with these specific
chemicals recently enough to fully understand the
safety hazards.  All those acids and the lye are
capable of destroying flesh very quickly, so treat
them with the greatest of respect.

The nitric and the chlorate are perhaps the most
dangerous because they are oxidizers and can cause
explosions.  The sulfuric (vitriol) will CHAR flesh or
anything organic, and actually becomes a stronger acid
as you dilute it (to perhaps 50%).  Nitric and
sulfuric and lye can boil the water you dilute them
with, the reactions are so strong.  Acetic is
particularly insidious because it will pass through
the skin like an organic solvent (which it is) and
cause acid burns to the flesh and bone beneath.  In
addition, acetic is flammable - you have to store ilt
like you would any flammable solvent.  All of these
chemicals will destroy your eyes, should they get into
them, so wear full-face protection when working with
them (unless VERY dilute).  You probably already know
these things, but others reading this may not.  

When diluting acids, add acid to water - slowly - else
you'll boil hot acid back out at you.  When diluting
lye, add lye to water slowly with rapid mixing to
avoid both boiling of the solution and 

All this said, I do not discourage anyone from working
with these chemicals.  But anyone who does without
first educating themselves in the dangers is asking
for terrible trouble.

As to uses:

Ferric chloride solution for etching damascus (or PC
boards).

Sulfuric (very diluted) for etching steel or copper -
but different baths for different metals.

Nitric (50% dilution) for passivating SS.  Don't put
copper in nitric, as it will be etched with the
evolution of nasty brown NO2 (or N2O4) gas.

Acetic (diluted to perhaps 10%) is great for removing
scale from steel, but will evaporate if not tightly
sealed and will stink up your shop like vinegar.

I don't have a use for chlorate, and I suggest caution
as it could possibly form explosive compounds with
metals or other compounds.

Bruce
NJ

--- Daniel Kretchmar <dan at irontreeworks.com> wrote:

> Greetings,
>           I have just aquired some acid.  I am a
> science teacher and the 
> OSHA liason for my Middle School.  Our school just
> required that any 
> chemical that has not been used in a classroom
> within the last three
> years be disposed of via a Hazardous Waste Disposal
> Company.  I pretty much 
> emptied the cabinets, but there were several
> unopened bottles that just 
> looked too useful so I took them home.  I have now
> have:
> 1 gallon of regent grade Sulfuric Acid
> 1 liter of Nitric acid
> 3 liters of distilled Acetic Acid,
> 1 gallon of crystaline of Potassium Chlorate=20
> 1 gallon of crystaline NaOH  (lye)
> 1 pint of crystaline Ferric Chloride
> 
> Can any suggest a use for these that doesn't go
> "BOOM"?  I learned alot  of 
> those in chemistry class. :)
> 
> I know about safe handling of these chemicals thanks
> to OHSA training.
> 
> I have used Nitric Acid for etching in the past and
> Potassium Chlorate is 
> great for homemade fire works.  The lye I can use
> for leather tanning and 
> the Ferric Chloride for dipping my pattern welding
> into.......
> 
> Can anyone recommend a use for the the others or
> different uses than the 
> ones I already mentioned?
> 
> 
> Dan Kretchmar
> www.irontreeworks.com
> 
> 
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