[TheForge] acid

[Steven Smith]

OK, on further reading, it is flammable. Weird.

Steve

Steven Smith wrote:
> Bruce, admittedly it has been awhile since my various chemistry 
> classes, but I really have to question your statements on acetic acid. 
> Two things I have a hard time with:
> 1. "acetic is flammable" I really doubt this. My chemical engineer 
> wife can find no mention of it in the rubber bible.
> 2. "it will pass through your skin" Are you sure you aren't thinking 
> of hydrofluoric acid (which does do this)? My hands spent many hours 
> in dilute acetic acid in the darkroom in high school with no problems. 
> How could people like and consume vinegar?
>
> Steve
>
> Bruce Freeman wrote:
>> 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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>>
>>
>>
>>        
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