Sciencemadness Discussion Board

New regulations on sulfuric acid in the U.S.?

Upsilon - 12-9-2015 at 11:38

About a year and a half ago I bought a liter of 98% sulfuric acid for less than $20 USD on Amazon. I didn't use much of it and looked at it today, and I guess the plastic contaminated it (should have moved it to a glass jar) and it is now extremely dark-colored (it was practically clear before). So I figured I'd just order another and put it in a better container this time. But I can't seem to find anything reasonable anywhere at all. Are there some new shipping regulations on it or something? Is there still anywhere I can get it cheap?

Home Improvement store.

100PercentChemistry - 12-9-2015 at 11:54

I don't know of any regulations. 1 year ago I bought it from amazon also. At any home improvement store in the U.S they sell it as drain cleaner at 93%. It around $10 per quart. 1.1 quart is in a liter. Do you live in the U.S?

[Edited on 12-9-2015 by 100PercentChemistry]

Upsilon - 12-9-2015 at 12:23

Quote: Originally posted by 100PercentChemistry  
I don't know of any regulations. 1 year ago I bought it from amazon also. At any home improvement store in the U.S they sell it as drain cleaner at 93%. It around $10 per quart. 1.1 quart is in a liter. Do you live in the U.S?

[Edited on 12-9-2015 by 100PercentChemistry]


Yes, I am in the U.S. If the drain cleaner is 93%, what is the remaining 7%? Just water or something else? And is that still concentrated enough to literally burn holes in paper (like my 98% does)?

aga - 12-9-2015 at 12:27

The brown stuff is some carbon crap.

Boiling with even 3% hydrogen peroxide removes it, with stirring.

Upsilon - 12-9-2015 at 12:35

Quote: Originally posted by aga  
The brown stuff is some carbon crap.

Boiling with even 3% hydrogen peroxide removes it, with stirring.


Boiling as in the boiling point of water? Because sulfuric acid by itself doesn't boil until 337C and begins to decompose at 300C.

battoussai114 - 12-9-2015 at 12:36

There's that new regulation in the Europe, maybe your local stores are following the trend...
BTW, did they actually ship concentrated sulfuric acid to you!? Around here only a few private transporters can handle concentrated acids and other hazmats, so much that it's cheaper to buy analytic grade stuff locally than industrial/technical grade online.

aga - 12-9-2015 at 12:46

Quote: Originally posted by Upsilon  
Boiling as in the boiling point of water? Because sulfuric acid by itself doesn't boil until 337C and begins to decompose at 300C.

With contaminated store-bought Sulphuric acid, just add some 3% hydrogen peroxide then boil as hard as you can until you get fumes.

Clear concentrated H2SO4 results.

Don't take my word for it - either do a ton of googling or just try it.

Remiaining 7 percent

100PercentChemistry - 12-9-2015 at 12:51

The remaining 7 percent is 6 percent water and less than 1 percent 9-(2-carboxyphenyl)-3,6-bis(diethyl amino)xanthylium chloride. That is violet 10, it turn the acid browish so you know that it is acid. It will char paper.

[Edited on 12-9-2015 by 100PercentChemistry]

[Edited on 12-9-2015 by 100PercentChemistry]

aga - 12-9-2015 at 12:56

Not after it hits boiling sulphuric and H2O2 it doesn't.

All the OC just goes to bits in boiling pirahña solution.

The small % water does tend to stay.

hyfalcon - 12-9-2015 at 15:33

Just how much sulfuric acid do you need? Here's where I get my acids.

https://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=sulfuric

The Volatile Chemist - 13-9-2015 at 16:29

Wow... (that got a really nerdy sounding 'wow', more like 'wohohohow')
That's cool. Of course nothing beats a 10 minute drive to pick some up when you need it, but still, that's nice.
It isn't always violet 10.

subsecret - 13-9-2015 at 17:19

Distilling might be a better way to go if you want to buy sulfuric acid OTC as drain opener; I've noticed that this acid contains some metallic impurities, a lot of which could be lead. If you can get some high-temperature grease, use NurdRage's procedure. Rooto also contains something that's turned my reactions light pink/purple before. Here's making methyl salicylate:

If they had regulations on sulfuric acid, we probably wouldn't be seeing it in stores very much.

[Edited on 14-9-2015 by subsecret]

MS.png - 605kB

UC235 - 13-9-2015 at 18:46

Quote: Originally posted by subsecret  
Distilling might be a better way to go if you want to buy sulfuric acid OTC as drain opener; I've noticed that this acid contains some metallic impurities, a lot of which could be lead. If you can get some high-temperature grease, use NurdRage's procedure. Rooto also contains something that's turned my reactions light pink/purple before. Here's making methyl salicylate


I think it's quite unlikely to contain any amount of lead since it's all meant to go down the drain and lead-lined reactors haven't been in use for well over 100 years, probably. It's certainly not recycled from spent battery acid either.

The purple means it is almost certainly iron contamination. You're witnessing a positive test for a phenol group on your salicylic acid.

The Volatile Chemist - 14-9-2015 at 13:57

The sulfuric acid I have is usually pink-orange, but when salt is added, to make NaCl, it turns yellow :) But it's no big deal to me.

aga - 14-9-2015 at 14:02

Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
The sulfuric acid I have is usually pink-orange, but when salt is added, to make NaCl, it turns yellow :)

Please explain.

Adding NaCl to sulphuric acid to make, er, NaCl ?

Confuseled. Muchly.

The Volatile Chemist - 14-9-2015 at 14:22

Haha, I meant HCl. I'm not that uneducated...