Hydrochloric acid, muriatic acid, spirits of salts

prv said:
and then experimented with melting and bending the test tubes over a charcoal flame with an electric blower to make it hotter.

Pete
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That used to be one of the things they taught in the school chemi labs - how to blow glass and make some of your own equipment. Didnt take it very far as mass produced retorts etc were becoming available at low cost but we did make things like mercury switches.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
That used to be one of the things they taught in the school chemi labs - how to blow glass and make some of your own equipment.
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Wow, that would have been great. Nearest we came was melting closed one end of a capillary tube for a particular experiment that I can't remember.

Pete
 
In the 1970's as an undergraduate I was fortunate to attend a lecture on explosives by Colonel Brian Shaw - and I've just seen a copy of his lecture as given in the US in the late 80's: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7516184424244692022#

Not quite the same, and the guy is showing his age - but still well worth watching. Pity about the nerdy intro, but there you go .....
 
>Hydrochloric acid is often suggested for descaling jobs including engines and toilet installations

Technically it's not Hydrochloric acid because it must be diluted to use as a cleaner. As far as cleaning a toilet it is OK to clean the outlet pipe but be careful using it in the toilet it eats rubber (joker valve). If you pass Muriatic through quickly it should be OK but don't let it stand.

I've tested it on various things: it eats Aluminium but is brilliant at cleaning badly stained stainless steel. Surprisingly it is also fine on epoxy paint.
 
KellysEye;2694246As far as cleaning a toilet it is OK to clean the outlet pipe but be careful using it in the toilet it eats rubber (joker valve). If you pass Muriatic through quickly it should be OK but don't let it stand. [/QUOTE said:
No it doesn't. Concentrated HCl will react a little with neoprene rubbers, which joker valves are, after prolonged immersion (weeks or months). Dilute HCl has no effect on them. I dose my toilet on average every fortnight through the season with concentrated HCl and all rubber valves and O-rings in the toilet remain in good condition after 7 years. On average I guess the joker valve is immersed in fairly concentrated acid for about 15 minutes each time. You need to wait until the reaction stops, i.e. until it stops gassing.

See http://www.quickcutgasket.com/chemicalresistance.html
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Technically it's not Hydrochloric acid because it must be diluted to use as a cleaner
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.

Explain !

Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride, a gas, in water. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is only thirty something % but you can make more dilute solutions of whatever lower concentration you like.
 
Chris_Robb said:
Hi Vic, do you know what the Greek is for HCl! Its all greek to me I am afraid. I have been wandering around the shelves trying to buy some.......................
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Hi Chris, All the bottles I have bought are labelled Hydrochloric Acid. Don't know if there is a Proton supermarket in Messalonghi but they always keep it. 500 ml bottles, red, bottom shelf in with the cleaning fluids and soaps. There's definitely one in Vonitsa. Otherwise nearly all supermarkets keep it, it's a matter of finding it, which you already know!
Vyv
 
vyv_cox said:
Hi Chris, All the bottles I have bought are labelled Hydrochloric Acid. Don't know if there is a Proton supermarket in Messalonghi but they always keep it. 500 ml bottles, red, bottom shelf in with the cleaning fluids and soaps. There's definitely one in Vonitsa. Otherwise nearly all supermarkets keep it, it's a matter of finding it, which you already know!
Vyv
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Well thats quite a safety thing isn't it! I will have another look.

I am out there on Thursday again to move the boat to Prevesa from Messy, where things are getting a bit messy - but no more of that till I am away from there! PM sent
 
disappearing

VicMallows said:
To continue the theme (!)..... does anyone know when 'Chemistry Sets' disappeared? (these were boxes containing 20+ glass testtubes of various chemicals, a few other bits and pieces, and usually a small spirit burner. (Upmarket sets might contain a gas bunsen burner - which you connected to an available gas spigot in your home!). They were essentially sold as 'toys' in toyshops. They were certainly commonplace late 1950s/early 1960s.

Did they die a natural death due to changing interests? (electronic were on the up) or were they killed off by H&S?

Vic
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I know mine disappeared (aka removed forcibly) when I discovered potasium permanganate and magnesium plus a few other 'mixtures' that made interesting colours, particularly if I sealed them in a cardboard roll. Also to disappear were the table I was working on and a large bit of carpet not to mention my mum's sense of humour!

And yes I moved on to electrics. I can well remember fixing my ten bob tv when the picture slpe off to one side. I stuck a stick in the back and adjusted the magnet to send the electrons back in the right direction.

I moved on to physics where I investigated when aerodynamics over comes hydrodynamics in the shape of a National 12 capsizing in front of the barges just west of Putney Bridge.

Last night I was invited out to an anchored boat in a home made tender; now that was scary!
 
The concept was certainly still in vogue when I was a school, and my father made me a custom set which included a bottle each of the 3 main acids. There was also a school supplier in town that had a student club which allowed you to buy chemicals and equipment from them. As our school still used coal fires for heating in most of the buildings their special deal on magnesium tape was popular. Great in religious knowledge a small ball of magnesium in the fire and the whole class shouts was that the light of god sir. Got 2 of the belt for that once, but the Mekon god bless his soul was not that effective with the tause.
 
mattonthesea said:
I know mine disappeared (aka removed forcibly) when I discovered potasium permanganate and magnesium plus a few other 'mixtures' that made interesting colours, particularly if I sealed them in a cardboard roll. Also to disappear were the table I was working on and a large bit of carpet not to mention my mum's sense of humour!

And yes I moved on to electrics. I can well remember fixing my ten bob tv when the picture slpe off to one side. I stuck a stick in the back and adjusted the magnet to send the electrons back in the right direction.

I moved on to physics where I investigated when aerodynamics over comes hydrodynamics in the shape of a National 12 capsizing in front of the barges just west of Putney Bridge.
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we seem to be having a parallel thread about labs, chemicals, and H&S in the lounge! :)

You really wouldn't want to know what happened in many bio labs in the 80's! :eek:
 
VicMallows said:
To continue the theme (!)..... does anyone know when 'Chemistry Sets' disappeared? (these were boxes containing 20+ glass testtubes of various chemicals, a few other bits and pieces, and usually a small spirit burner. (Upmarket sets might contain a gas bunsen burner - which you connected to an available gas spigot in your home!). They were essentially sold as 'toys' in toyshops. They were certainly commonplace late 1950s/early 1960s.

Did they die a natural death due to changing interests? (electronic were on the up) or were they killed off by H&S?

Vic
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I remember putting everything in my set into a tin and boiling it on a primus after being taken, around age 10, to see the Disney film' The Absent Minded Professor'... the first one not the remake. The one where he accidentally invents flubber that makes his car fly...I longed to have a flying car...guess that may be why I eventually discovered sailing!
 
Just ask for Aqua Fuerto - similar to the Spanish - I saw some today in Messolonghi in Carfour. There's was a 50% solution at 80 cents - in another supermarket I found some at 10% for 33 cents.
 
My Dad used to kill HCl with zinc and called it spirit of salts. He used to use it for soldering.Brilliant for soldering nipples on steel brake cables.
 
My Dad used to kill HCl with zinc and called it spirit of salts. He used to use it for soldering.Brilliant for soldering nipples on steel brake cables.
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do pay attention at the back there.

post #7 in this thread says, "A soldering flux, killed spirit, is made by adding zinc to HCl until no more dissolves."
 
Just ask for Aqua Fuerto - similar to the Spanish - I saw some today in Messolonghi in Carfour. There's was a 50% solution at 80 cents
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Not likely to be 50% HCl. It would have to be stored under pressure. Laboratory grades of concentrated hydrochloric acid are around 35-37%. Commercial grades less.
Maybe a 50:50 dilution of concentrated
 
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maxi77 said:
and my father made me a custom set which included a bottle each of the 3 main acids..........magnesium tape was popular.
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Now the thought of MY father and any mix of chemicals is really scary ..... and probably a good thing that I 'acquired' his electric drill when about 12.

Magnesium tape......had completely forgotten that one! Why do I associate it with setting off fireworks remotely from big discarded telephone batteries http://www.ybw.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

Vic
 
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