CHRIS25 - 20-7-2012 at 01:05
Hi, I made as close as possible to concentrated citric acid (3mol) about 10 days ago, I unscrewed both Plastic tops and they were covered inside with
white crystals; The bottles previously contained distilled white vinegar, bought, and was 5%. it seemed a logically secure idea to use these bottles
for citric acid.
They are stored, by the way, next to copper acetates and ammonium acetates - hydrates. And behind these are a few containers of sodium hydroxide
anhydrous.
So all in all I do not know why this happened.
I bet one of you do though...as usual.....
adamsium - 20-7-2012 at 01:54
It sounds like the crystals are just the citric acid. It's not uncommon when growing crystals for the crystals to grow up and over the side of the
crystallising dish. Although the solutions were in closed containers, you said you put them outside (where I presume it gets cold). Since the
solubility of citric acid in water likely decreases as temperature decreases (I can't find the data on this at the moment, sorry) and you made a
close-to-saturated solution, some of the citric acid likely began to crystallise out, ultimately creeping from the liquid surface level up the inside
of the bottle and on to the inside of the lid.
CHRIS25 - 20-7-2012 at 04:46
Ok, my first thought, but just wanted to make sure. though no it is not outside, but indoors.
[Edited on 20-7-2012 by CHRIS25]