"Spehro Pefhany" wrote in message
...
On 14 Dec 2009 06:49:51 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2009-12-13, Karl Townsend wrote:
I need some nitric acid to passivate some stainless. Anybody know of a
common local source? I see my favorite McMaster Carr don't have it.

For example, you cab buy hydrochloric acid as muratic acid at any
hardware
store. or phosphoric acid as "Lime Away" at any farm and fleet store or
sulfuric acid as battery acid at any auto parts store.

Note that since nitric acid is a primary substance used in
making nitroglycerine and other similar explosives, it is probably
rather tightly controlled and tracked these days.

Enjoy,
DoN.

Yes, if you set up a new account and try to order strong oxidizers, I
would expect some penetrating questions. If you have a long-term
existing business with a legitimate need, it shouldn't be a serious
problem.. but it might cause delays. BTW, concentrated nitric acid
will attract Hazmat shipping fees (ground shipping only). I would
expect individuals would not be able to easily buy such chemicals.

We use a lab supply house for reagent grade chemicals, but they tend
to be a bit expensive.


Unless my memory is failing, to passivate stainless with nitric acid, you
have to get it hot, correct? I thought that's why people used hydrofluoric
acid for small-batch passivating. Hot nitric is very nasty stuff.

--
Ed Huntress