Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Nitric acid/silver nitrate stains

hyfalcon - 3-12-2012 at 17:53

I just had a glove leak today when I was working with my silver purification. My right glove leaked and I didn't realize it at first, now I have black and brown stained fingers and hand. Is there anything but time that will remove these stains?

UnintentionalChaos - 3-12-2012 at 17:58

Sandpaper?

kristofvagyok - 3-12-2012 at 18:16

Sandpaper +1.

But be happy, there are several things that can color your hand and looks much worse;)

cyanureeves - 3-12-2012 at 18:28

i am going on a week with stained hands and at least eight of my fingernails blackened by nitric acid. its common for me to go about with one or two damaged nails but 8 is going to be pretty bad.right now i got my nails covered with white nail polish and it has slowed my nails from cracking all the way.if the nail polish doesnt work then i will have it pretty bad for a week or so of painful raggety nails as nitric will weaken nails. i have had my nails crack all the way down passed the middle and have waited until they grew out again,it really sucks because they snag on everything. i just plain forgot about gloves and i dont even want to know what people think about me when they see my hands.

hyfalcon - 4-12-2012 at 18:14

Luckily, my solution was pretty loaded down with silver and base metals at the time or it would have been worse. I was only working with ~33% nitric to begin with and it had been working on 350 grams of sterling for a while.

kuro96inlaila - 5-12-2012 at 07:10

I don't think there is other efficient way to remove the stains than time and skinning.:P
Because the stains it self is reacted keratin.Silver react with keratin to form light sensitive compound and nitric acid nitrated the keratin.

zed - 7-12-2012 at 14:56

Nope! We've all had 'em. The stains will be with you until the skin eventually wears off. You will have a nice long time being reminded of your negligence.

This experience helped me enormously when I was actively playing with chemicals. Made me really cautious about contamination. And thus, even at my fairly advanced age, I do not have the shakes, the heebie jeebies, or the creeping crawling internal crud we call cancer.

Silver Nitrate contamination on skin, produces a flashy but benign condition, that reminds us of our mortality, and the power of an invisible amount of a chemical to have a profound effect upon us.

hyfalcon - 7-12-2012 at 15:46

Had to take the Pediapaw to my own nails instead of the dogs. Sheesh, I'm getting more use out of it then she does.

cyanureeves - 7-12-2012 at 17:06

one week has passed since i damaged eight of my fingernails and have to say that nail polish has helped a lot.my nails will begain to crack almost immediately if a chunk of nail polish breaks off and leaves the nail exposed. i think i'm gonna beat this and am starting to love nitric again... and revlon.